National September 11 Memorial Museum

The National September 11 Memorial Museum resides in the space between where the Twin Towers once stood in New York City. Designed by Snøhetta with Handel, Zahner manufactured the custom facade skin for the building. The architects worked with Zahner engineers and designers in the Design Assist team to develop the facade system. Zahner unitized the metal systems in Kansas City and then shipped everything to the job site for installation.

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DEVELOPING THE 911 MUSEUM METAL FACADE

The panels were tested for wind loads and water permeability at a special facility. The panelization method used for the project required welding studs to the reverse of each panel. Zahner-trained fabricators welded the hardware at ideal penetration so that the stud-welds wouldn’t show on the face of the metal panels.

The surface of the metal shell alternates between GB-60 polish and a No. 4 polish on stainless steel. The No. 4 polish has greater reflectivity along a linear grain, while the GB-60 surface scatters light for a more diffused look. This alternation repeats itself as a motif in not only the stainless steel facade, but also across the fenestration surface.