Appearance, durability and glare reduction were all important considerations in the decision to utilize Rigidized® Metals perforated DuoTex® combination pattern 1UN on InvariMatte® micro texture to skin newly constructed portions of  Symphony Park parking garage in Las Vegas, NV. The garage provides parking for the Smith Center for the Performing Arts, the Discovery Children's Museum, Symphony Park and more.

The deep texture of the chosen Rigidized Metals metal offers a one-of-a-kind aesthetic, and combined with the natural cleanability of the InvariMatte® micro texture, creates a clean, uniform facade. Additionally, the pattern combination reduces glare in this notoriously sunny environment.

The panels simplified and streamlined the visual impact of a three level parking garage extension while also allowing for enough airflow to qualify as an open garage. The end product is a clean exterior look that changes depending on time of day, lighting, weather, viewing angle, and distance.

“The difference in how [the panels] look in the morning versus how they look in the afternoon is wild. How the light hits these panels can change it from looking uniform and solid, to picking up and highlighting the texture and translucency really well,” says Alex Klenk, of CSD Architecture. “The InvariMatte® finish also dramatically reduces the sun glare, which tones down the panels a lot and you can just stare at them and enjoy them without getting blinded.”

The Rigidized® Metals panels work together well with the colorful metal façade of the existing portion of the parking structure while visually cleaning up the expansion and hiding the concrete of the parking garage structure. The deep texture on the panels gives an added layer of visual interest while contributing to the structural rigidity of the panels themselves.

“Distance also plays a huge factor," says Klenk. "From the County building across the street, these panels look flat, and you can tell there’s a perf because you can really get a feel for the levels of the garage and support behind them. Once you get closer, though, they get more and more solid looking (unless they’re backlit) and you just get the texture of the deep pattern.”