Valspar, MORIN and ALPOLIC are names synonymous with bold architectural designs. Fitting then that all three were involved in creating the new look for one of Dallas' most venerable medical institutions, the Parkland Hospital.
From humble beginnings in 1894, Parkland Hospital grew to become Dallas' premier medical facility. Historians will remember it as the hospital where President John F. Kennedy was taken after being fatally shot during his visit to the city on November 22, 1963. But to local residents, it is known just as much for its dedication to delivering first-class medical treatment.
Regardless of its role in history or its long-standing reputation of its staff, age finally caught up with facility itself. Slowly but surely, the building became too outdated and undersized to provide adequate care for its many patients. To rectify the hospital’s problem, construction began in 2010 on a $1.27 billion replacement facility. When completed, the New Parkland Hospital would be twice the size of its predecessor.
Spanning over 2 million square-feet and rising 18-stories, the design of New Parkland Hospital was the result of a collaborative effort involving BARA, a joint venture between Balfour Beatty Construction, Austin Commercial, H.J. Russell & Company and Azteca Enterprises; and architects from HDR and Corgan. Together, the companies developed designs for a state-of-the-art facility featuring 862 full-service rooms, cutting-edge medical technology, a stand-alone clinic, parking structures and several support facilities. The team also aimed to put the park back in Parkland by designing a campus-like maze of landscaped paths, gardens, and green space to surround the complex.
Despite its many amenities, advanced technologies and sheer scope, New Parkland’s most recognizable feature is its bold design. BARA teamed up with specialists from Morin - A Kingspan Group Company, and ALPOLIC® Materials, a division of Mitsubishi Plastics Composites America Inc., to integrate exterior metal systems clad in Valspar coatings to create the hospital’s unique façade.
Morin provided New Parkland Hospital with a beautiful exterior wall system consisting of MX 1.0 Matrix Series® Panels and CF Series concealed fastening panels, both finished with a Grey Metallic Valspar Fluropon paint. Valspar’s Fluropon is the industry standard for architectural coatings and offers resistance to weathering, fading and chalking. Fluropon coatings contain 70 percent PVDF resins, resulting in outstanding protection against dirt and staining, as well exceptional color consistency and retention.
ALPOLIC, meanwhile, supplied almost 200,000 sq. ft. of aluminum composite material (ACM) used to construct the exterior rain screen. The 4mm ALPOLIC®/fr-RF aluminum panels were finished with Valspar’s Valflon, a highly durable fluropolymer (FEVE) resin-based coating, in the color PEX Metallic Pewter. Valspar’s Valflon offers New Parkland Hospital a unique blend of durability and appearance features that will ensure the facility maintains its form and function for many years.
On August 20, 2015, New Parkland Hospital welcomed its very first patients through its doors and into the leading-edge facility. Over the course of several days, 600 patients were transferred from the old hospital into the new complex, a process Parkland staff had been coordinating for more than a year. Now fully operational, New Parkland has the capacity, technology, and structural design to fully care for its patients and look good doing it for many years to come.
For more information on MORIN products, including MX 1.0 Matrix Series® Panels and CF Series concealed fastening panels, click here.
For more information about ALPOLIC®/fr-RF aluminum panels, click here.
photos © HDR Architects