AISC presented members of the project team of the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium West Pavilion with the 2017 IDEAS2 Award for excellence in steel-framed building design during a ceremony conducted at the pavilion on Friday.
The pavilion is the signature element of the stadium’s recent renovation. The 115,000-sq.-ft, 130-yard-long pavilion wraps the upper west edge of the seating bowl and towers more than 120 ft above the field below. Its dynamic form defines the stadium edge, and a curtain wall with large glass panels facilitates views through and from the structure, showcasing the efficient X-braced structural steel frame that helps to establish the building’s identity.
Charlie Carter, SE, PE, PhD, president of AISC, said, “I love the way this design picks up on the hilly nature of the Cincinnati campus. The designers accentuate the way the stadium sits into the valley, building upon the many levels that define the campus -- all while maintaining the ease of walking right into the venue from the plaza surrounding it. These features are pulled off masterfully by the constructors using the only material that could make it possible: steel!”
For more on this project and all of this year’s IDEAS2 award winners, see “2017 IDEAS2 Awards” in our May issue.
AISC is accepting entries for the 2018 IDEAS2 competition at www.aisc.org/ideas2. The entry deadline is October 6, 2017.