Skillfully sculpted to match the natural contours of the gentle slopes bordering the wetlands preserve at Piedmont College, the canopy cuts a striking profile against the wilderness directly behind centre stage.
Georgia-based architectural practice Armentrout Roebuck Matheny Consulting Group (ARMCG) has selected Reynobond ACM from Alcoa, a US-based producer of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum, and alumina. The flexible and lightweight Alcoa material helped in fulfilling the aesthetics envisioned by the architects.
ARMCG has designed the state-of-the-art outdoor entertainment venue with an infrastructure that could accommodate everything from Piedmont College performances to larger-scale commercial productions. Architect James Blythe stated that the actual design of the canopy was shaped in large part to provide the proper acoustics and sight lines for the sloped seating areas. It has also been solar-modelled to optimize the shading during the warmer summer months.
Blythe also added that Reynobond ACM turned out to be the first choice for the skin of the canopy for several reasons. The design team looked for a material that would hold well over time, requires little to no maintenance or refinishing, and lightweight in character with excellent dimensional stability. The design team also preferred to have a material that could be shaped and cut to create the aesthetic that had been envisioned from the concept stages of the project. The choice for the canopy was finalised from multiple angles. Approximately 5000 square feet of Reynobond ACM, Platinum Colorweld 300XL finish was used for the canopy.
ARMCG designed the state-of-the-art outdoor entertainment venue with an infrastructure that can accommodate everything from Piedmont student performances to larger-scale commercial productions. The building contractor was Scroggs & Grizzel of Gainesville, with metal installers Kistler McDougall Corp of Woodstock and J&J Welding of Gainesville.
The Piedmont Arrendale Amphitheater was honoured by the 2010 Metal Architecture Design Awards as the winner in the metal roof category. The 500-seat amphitheatre with overflow grass seating opened in October 2009.
