ROANOKE, VA.- Application of the stainless steel roof for the new Art Mu­seum of Western Virginia is underway, and the new building’s dramatic, undulating roofline is visibly taking shape. Roofing work is ongoing on all areas of the building with the installation of stainless steel finish panels for Element 3, the installation of insulation and sub-base for Element 2 and the completion of ZEPPS panels for Elements 4 and 6.

Installation of the anchors and horizontal and vertical framing for the new Art Museum’s soaring, 80-foot glass atrium continues. During the first phase of the installation of the curtain wall fram­ing, which should be completed by the end of the month, anchors will be welded to the structural steel which will then hold the aluminum framing system. After the aluminum framing is com­plete, glass installation will begin. The curtain wall system has been designed to span multiple floors of the new building and to take into consideration design requirements such as thermal ex­pansion and contraction, building sway and movement, water diversion, wind load, and thermal efficiency for cost-effective heating, cooling and lighting. The aluminum framing is fabricated by Architectural Glazing Technologies, a division of Architectural Skylight Company, headquar­tered in Waterboro, Maine. The glass is made by Viracon, headquartered in Owatonna, Minne­sota. The curtain wall will be installed by Permasteelisa CS, a global leader in the design, project management, production and installation of innovative architectural envelopes world-wide.

Installation of the metal panels that form the exterior wall enclosure of the facility continues on the north side of the building along Norfolk Avenue. Made of pre-patinated zinc surfaces on alu­minum panels, the unique color of the panels is created though a process in which the panels are bathed in an acid mixture and then rinsed with water until the desirable patina is achieved. Instal­lation of these panels by A. Zahner Company will continue for several months.

Installation of the ZEPPS panels (Zahner Engineered Profiled Panel System), which are used to provide the protruding, cantilevered edges of the new Art Museum’s undulating stainless steel roof is complete. ZEPPS is a system of modular units that attach directly to the roof structural steel and will define the new Art Museum roof’s distinctive, curvilinear shape. The panels are prefabricated by A. Zahner Company, the roofing subcontractor, and include self-supporting structures that become part of the roof and provide critical insulation and water-proofing elements for the roof.

Ceiling rough-in of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems continues, with work mov­ing from level two up to level three. Permanent power to the building will be energized later this month. Varney, Inc., headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, serves as the subcontractor for the in­stallation of the new Art Museum’s electrical systems, including fire alarm and security systems as well as backbone work for telecom and A/V systems. Interior wall framing continues on the lower levels and will continue through the fall.

Element 1, the final element of the new Art Museum to be erected, houses the atrium and lobby, concourse, museum store, and a portion of the café. Element 2 houses the first floor auditorium, theater and lobby, equipment platforms, primary mechanical spaces, and the second floor art gal­leries, including the contemporary gallery. Element 3 of the building design houses the library, boardroom, boardroom terrace, director’s office, temporary galleries, Art Venture, and a portion of the café. Element 4 houses back of house mechanical rooms, housekeeping areas, art storage and the catering kitchen, third floor reception and administrative offices, and several small galler­ies, including the prints and photography, regional decorative arts, Leiber handbag collection, and modernism galleries. Elements 5 and 6 together house the art loading and service docks, new me­dia gallery and American art gallery.

A half scale model of the new Art Museum’s roof at the intersection of Elements 3 and 6 is on exhibit in the Art Museum’s current facility as part of the Process and Promise in a New Art Mu­seum exhibition. The Art Museum galleries are open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Admission is $3 per person Tuesday through Saturday and free on Sun­days.