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Frank Gehry’s vision realized at Walt Disney Concert Hall thanks to 3M VHB tape
In the world of architecture, Frank Gehry has built a reputation for making dreams come true. The American architect has been called one of the most important architects of our time, thanks to his world-famous works, which include the Guggenheim Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario.
When Gehry set out to design the Walt Disney Concert Hall (WDCH) in Los Angeles, California, the structure he created would defy imagination and defy engineering capabilities.
Looking at the room today, it’s easy to see how its creation posed a unique challenge. The complex beautifully deconstructs basic forms, the walls curve, and the gleaming steel plates reflect and transform the surrounding space.
The exterior walls are covered with 6,100 stainless steel panels, no two are the same shape or size. Each panel weighs about 66 kilograms and each of them must be fastened invisibly.
No rivets. No welds.
3M™ VHB™ Tape helps create architectural design magic.
To turn these heavy metal panels into lightweight, free-flowing shapes, an unorthodox solution was needed, and the team found it in 3M VHB tape.
Capable of withstanding hurricane force winds, extreme temperatures and even holding the bond underwater, 3M VHB tape was used to attach the curtain wall panels to aluminum metal clips placed on each side of the horizontal and vertical joints between the panels.
The smooth finish that 3M VHB Tape helped create is also stronger and lasts longer than rivets and tack welds, because unlike traditional joining methods, 3M VHB Tape does not weaken the materials it holds.
In fact, 3M VHB tape has proven so reliable that for more than three decades it has been used in the construction of aircraft, buses, motorhomes, buildings, and many other challenging construction projects around the world, and is especially for the creation of glass curtain walls and structural glazing.
Some of the most common tapes and adhesives for gluing curtain walls or structural glazing are 3M VHB Structural Glazing double-sided adhesive tape G23F, 3M VHB Structural Glazing double-sided adhesive tape B23F, and 3M VHB Structural Glazing double-sided adhesive tape 4972.
Getting out of your comfort zone is where you find great building design.
With great aspirations can come great challenges. You should not only dream big, but also create on the same scale.
