Company:
SHADE Industries

Project Details

Fabric 1

Valmex 900
Producer/Manufacturer: Mehler Texnologies GmbH
Primary Use: Main Fabric


Engineer Name 1
Crystal Blanton

Engineer Company 1
Pangolin Structural

Design Company
Dick & Fritsche Design Group

Architect Name
Norman Yatabe

Architect Company
ASU Campus Architect

Fabrication Company
SHADE Industries

Project Manager Company
SHADE Industries

Installation Company
SHADE Industries


Please describe the project specifications

The Nelson Fine Arts installation of the “Pringles” at Arizona State University consists of 25 steel columns and 12 steel frames with a vinyl panel laced to the inside of the frame. The entire structure was deconstructed from another area of campus, stored on site, redesigned, re-fabricated to the new design layout, and re-installed at its new location.

This structure, originally designed by Eide Industries, Inc of California, was installed near the Arizona State Library around 2008. In 2018, we were contracted to disassemble the structure and store the components off site while the structure was redesigned by the campus Architect. In 2019, after many months of re-designing and planning activities, construction began to install this modified structure at the new Nelson Fine Arts Center plaza.


What is unique or complex about the project?

All steel components utilized on this project were recycled from the previous installation, and all materials to be analyzed in terms of sustainability aspects in order to meet SITES certification. The steel components required modification of the connection plates. This required delicate execution of the fabrication of new connection plates, as these plated needed to match up to respective plates on the vertical columns and bolt together. And if the fabrication wasn’t complicated enough, installation proved its own challenges, which included working concurrently with many other subcontractors on site, and the use of a 90 ton crane to place each column and framed ring on site.

This repurposed structure is a stately masterpiece at the Nelson Fine Arts Center at Arizona State University, especially when colorful lights illuminate the structure at night to truly enhance the experience. The University continues to collaborate with us for future architecturally unique shade structure installations!


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