Wolf Creek Library
Sparks Growing Community Spirit in Historic Atlanta Suburb
Places of learning do not have to be passive or drab. In fact, they can be dynamic and informative sites like the Wolf Creek Library in suburban Atlanta, Georgia. The 25,000 square-foot library, which opened its doors to the public in September 2014, is located in a historic district distinguished by woods, lakes and wetlands. Previously without any library service, this pristine Fulton County community determined it needed a shared, central meeting place for civic dialogue, neighbourly conversation, children’s activities, online access and tutoring.
Designed by the architecture and engineering firm Leo A Daly Co., the Wolf Creek Library artfully blends a 21st century design aesthetic of glass, metal and stone with its surrounding natural landscape that is home to a rainbow of wildlife. The building’s innovative but cohesive design scheme synthesises multiple curved and angular architectural elements whose forms and scale are function-driven, such as library collections, a reading room, administrative offices and community meeting hall.
Most dramatic is the Library’s bold, wedge-shaped building module whose sleek skin has been sheathed with Sherwin-Williams superior Valflon® architectural coating in a blazing MRT Prismatic Magma. Constructed from an integrated system of metal composite panels by ALPOLIC®, the skin’s shimmering copper-red hue blends impressively with the building’s subtle architectural materials of glass, stacked stone and fibre cement panel walls that are finished in a natural bronze tone.
The structure’s soaring floor-to-ceiling windows capture a tremendous amount of natural light that floods the building’s interior while offering an expansive view of nature. The glazing’s aluminium transoms and mullions, and the exterior canopies and sunshades, all sport a satin-anodised finish. This neutral tone is a pleasing visual link between the building’s fiery MRT Prismatic Magma skin and its stone walls and the natural environment beyond.
In addition to the design expertise of Leo A. Daly Co. for the Wolf Creek Library project, Hogan Construction Group, LLC provided construction management services, and Heery/Russell supplied the programme management team. Kistler McDougall Corporation fabricated and installed the panel system.
Project Credits:
- Project: Wolf Creek Library Atlanta, GA
- General contractor: Hogan Construction Group Norcross, GA
- Architects: Leo A Daly Omaha, NE
- Metal Panel manufacturer: ALPOLIC Materials, Mitsubishi Plastics Composites America; Chesapeake, VA
- Panels fabricator: Kistler McDougall Corp. Woodstock, GA
- Coatings provider: Sherwin-Williams Coil Coatings
Originally copper was considered as cladding material for the building’s iconic wedge-shaped façade. But, ultimately, it was determined that ALPOLIC’s aluminium composite material (ACM) was a superior solution, particularly when sheathed with Valflon. The custom MRT Prismatic Magma finish would evoke the original copper intent, but offer a more vibrant visual experience. Sherwin-Williams Valflon coating provides the shimmer and shifting colour the architects desired.
The simple but geometric design is at once bold but refined and enhanced by Sherwin-Williams Valflon coil coating. Valflon’s FEVE fluoropolymer-based resin creates a distinguished appearance without sacrificing performance. Durable with excellent adhesion and flexibility properties, the FEVE resin allows each prismatic colour to have an intense brightness of shade and a high-gloss quality up to level 80 that lasts for 30 years. Valflon is also resistant to airborne chemicals and protects against weathering, acid rain, chalking and fading.
Valflon’s prismatic colours project a startling visual depth that suggests that the building changes colours when viewed from different vantage points. Applied in a three-coat process, Valflon’s final clear coat incorporates a specialised mica flake that creates the colours’ iridescent appearance and gives the ALPOLIC panel system its three-dimensional quality. In the daytime, the Wolf Creek Library’s appearance shifts from copper to red to orange, depending on the time of day, weather conditions, and viewing angle.