Discovery World Museum Case Study:
Fire-Rated Glass and Frames Help Architects Meet Life Safety Requirements with Beauty and Elegance
Milwaukee's Discovery World is an interactive, lively museum where children and families learn about a variety of technological, cultural and environmental topics. The museum exhibits seek to weave together the human and natural world, and the building itself was designed to reflect that goal. Located on Pier Wisconsin overlooking Lake Michigan, Discovery World forms a link between the water and land, offering sweeping views of the lake and the city.
A key feature of the building complex is a 7,150-square-foot circular "pilot house" built over the water, which includes banquet and conference facilities with 360-degree views. Late in the design process, the museum requested a substantial change, calling for the elevator core in the pilot house to be changed from a walled-in configuration, to an open configuration using glass. This design element was very important to the museum, as it would allow for views of the lake and city skyline from the elevator, while also allowing visitors to see the elevator's mechanical systems.
The challenge faced by the architects, Hammel, Green and Abrahamson (HGA), Inc., Milwaukee, was how to provide glazing for the elevator shaft that would meet the aesthetic needs of the project, while also meeting fire and building code requirements. The glazing needed to do double duty: be clear, wireless and match as closely as possible to the building's exterior curtainwall system, and provide up to two hours of protection from flames and smoke.
HGA found the solution with Pilkington Pyrostop™ fire-rated glass and Fireframes® Heat Barrier Series frames from Technical Glass Products (TGP). The glass looks like ordinary window glass, providing a clear view in and out of the elevator shaft. The European-designed frames are sleek and slender, unlike the bulky wrap-around configuration of many traditional fire-rated frames. Together, the Pilkington Pyrostop and Fireframes Heat Barrier Series are fire-rated for two-hours. In addition, Pilkington Pyrostop glass blocks the transfer of radiant heat, which helps protect building occupants and equipment from the high temperatures of a structural fire. The architects report that the glazing system was well received by the Discovery World staff.
Pilkington Pyrostop is fire-tested as a wall assembly and makes an excellent alternative to a solid wall, allowing unrestricted amounts of glass. It also comes in configurations that meet the impact safety requirements of CPSC 16CFR1201 Category I and/or Category II. The Fireframes framing system exceeds traditional fire-rated framing in aesthetics and performance and can be used with a wide range of fire-rated glazing materials with large sizes of glass. Both products are listed with Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.®.
For more information on Pilkington Pyrostop and Fireframes Heat Barrier Series, along with TGP's other specialty fire-rated and architectural glass and framing, visit www.fireglass.com.