Cambridge Architectural Adds Urban, Upscale Texture to New Parking Structure at Century 21 Department Store

Century 21 is famous for selling designer clothing, shoes, accessories and home items at some of the lowest prices available. Now with six locations in New York and New Jersey, the company continues to be a one-of-a-kind retail destination, and its facilities continue to grow along with it. In the spirit of its commitment to high-end merchandise and style, Century 21 chose clean and sophisticated metal fabric from Cambridge Architectural as exterior cladding for its new parking garage.

A Cambridge Parkade architectural mesh system dresses the structures exterior in vertical panels placed alternating distances away from the buildings concrete shell. The result is an engaging exterior cladding that slightly undulates, adding unique interest and flow to the parking garages overall look.

While Cambridges metal fabric panels certainly make a decorative statement, the system they comprise also contributes a great deal to the garages operational needs.

We were looking for a material that could effectively provide screening, fall protection and ventilation, says Edward Bredow, Associate with SBLM Architects, the architect of the project. Cambridges mesh performed all of these functions while visually offering a unique in-and-out pattern to give the flat wall texture and relief enhancing our design concept.

Architectural mesh is a perfect material for parking garage applications particularly because of its strength and transparency. Cambridges Parkade system acts as a safety barrier for fall protection, but its open yet closed nature allows it to facilitate ventilation and views as well. For the Century 21 parking garage project, the system accomplishes all of this behind a façade with distinct visual character.

Century 21 is one of the most unique and successful retail outlets in the world, says Heather Collins, Director of Marketing for Cambridge Architectural. We were really excited to lend our material and our system to such a forward-thinking organization and forward-thinking project.

Cambridge is committed to assisting the design and construction team from initial concept to final installation on each and every project. For the Century 21 parking garage, Cambridge specifically engineered a Parkade system for the buildings exterior to assure a streamlined installation and a look that complemented the architects overall design concept.

Cambridge was very helpful throughout the entire project, says Edward Bredow. They provided installation advice and worked with us to properly fasten the mesh panels in a manner maintaining clean lines and clean joints.

The Parkade system was fabricated with mesh in Cambridges Mid-Balance pattern, which features large-scaled, flexible open weaves that shade and screen structures including facades, parking garages and pavilions.

Cambridges Eclipse tension attachment hardware was used to install the Mid-Balance product. Tailored edges are provided for expanses of flexible metal fabric in tension. Elegant, custom cut apertures receive the metal fabric ends in tubing that is integrated into a bracket and structural support design. Tube sizes may vary to emphasize or de-emphasize the attachment. The Eclipse hardware is appropriate for lengths of metal fabric held in tension up to 100 feet.

Construction on the Century 21 parking garage was completed in April 2009. The project team consists of architect SBLM Architects, New York, NY, contractor/installer E.W. Howell Co., LLC., Woodbury, NY and facility owner Century 21 Department Stores, New York, NY.

Cambridge Architectural Parkade metal fabric solutions lend unique aesthetic appeal, functionality, affordability and sustainable benefits to parking structures. As exterior cladding for parking garages, Parkade applications provide ventilation, fall protection, visibility, headlight attenuation, safety, security and many additional functional benefits. Cambridge offers a wide range of metal fabric patterns and corresponding attachment hardware, and is always available for comprehensive design and engineering assistance. With every project, Cambridge provides turn-key installation.

About Cambridge Architectural

Cambridge Architectural is the worlds most experienced and only full-service provider of sustainable architectural mesh systems for both interior and exterior building applications. Cambridge offers full system design, engineering and collaboration from concept through installation including highly challenging building projects, environments and budgets. Cambridge metal fabric systems are categorized by the primary application the system serves. These include: Parkade, Solucent, LandscapeInteriors, MeshFX, MeshDefense and Meshellaneous.