Gleaming like a new copper penny, Alucobond Material is part of the eye-catching design at the Clarion Hotel in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, but this hotel offers far more than meets the eye.

A recent project of Smith Carter Architects & Engineers Inc. of Winnipeg, this is a retrofit of a building constructed with precast concrete in 1959. Completed in January, 2003, the structure now features 45,000 sq. ft. of Alucobond Plus Material in a Copper Penny mica flake finish. This exterior cladding material was fabricated and installed by Thermal Systems KWC Ltd. headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for P & E Developments Limited. The Alucobond Plus Material was attached with the Thermal Systems AP300 dry joint rainscreen system.

"The owner wanted a unique appearance suitable to a flagship hotel," said Tom Piskor of Thermal Systems. "Considerations in choosing the Alucobond Material were its flatness and ease of fabrication into different sizes and shapes. The color was selected for its ability to change in appearance with different lighting. Traffic moving in different directions and at different times of the day will see this unique quality of the hotel."

The hotel is located in the midst of the Winnipeg business and entertainment district, with Manitoba's largest shopping mall across the street. Inside the hotel, accommodations range from business suites to family rooms. An indoor water park, one of Canada's largest, includes a two-story water slide and other features. The hotel also has a full service day spa with mineral pool.