Project Overview
For nearly a century, the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Neb., has welcomed visitors to observe a wide variety of objects and artifacts. Today, the Joslyn’s collection contains more than 12,000 items representing 5000 years of creativity across the world’s diverse cultures. This, combined with free general admission to the museum, means that the Joslyn is well-loved by Omaha residents and all who visit. To continue providing the best experience to visitors, the Joslyn Art Museum team engaged in the Rhonda & Howard Hawks Pavilion project, which would expand the facility’s gallery space by more than 40% while offering a unique, more inviting external architectural expression. Wells, in partnership with Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture, worked closely together on a precast concrete solution that would satisfy the effort’s design needs and guarantee a resilient structure for the future.
Historic Legacy Meets Contemporary Expression
Drawing inspiration from the surrounding landscape and atmospheric conditions of the Great Plains region of the United States, the Joslyn’s 42,000-ft2 addition was designed to act as a transitional form between two distinct architectural eras. In essence, the approach needed to bridge stylistic elements of the 1930s with modernized motifs of the present. The design’s success hinged on creating an envelope that could fluidly express curvature, geometry, and lightness—all while respecting the weight, durability, and performance needs of the region. Architectural high-performance precast concrete was uniquely capable of meeting these demands. Specifically, the ability to cast slender, variable shapes made it possible to create the building’s sweeping radius and cantilevered sections.
Through a series of proactive, technically sound solutions, the project team successfully delivered a high-performance concrete (HPC) rainscreen cladding system that gave the new pavilion its signature identity. Deep overhangs and horizontal lines reference regional architectural traditions, and the pavilion’s curvature helps filter and diffuse natural light into the upper-level galleries, enhancing the visitor experience and contributing to the Joslyn’s energy efficiency. The curved main volume is clad in a series of triangular HPC sunshade baguettes, each with a 4 × 6-in. cross section, radiused to follow the building’s geometry. Some of the baguettes reach up to 12 ft in length. These triangular elements required carefully controlled HPC to achieve sharp detail, consistent finish, and reliable durability. The concrete was refined through multiple iterations and tested extensively to confirm strength, workability, and aggregate exposure.
The manufacture of the precast concrete baguettes was just one challenge among several that were overcome by the project team. On the west elevation, select panels were both curved and radiused simultaneously. Stripping, polishing, and handling these components without damage required careful sequencing and custom lifting solutions. Further complexity arose from the specified aggregate, which was chosen both for visual continuity and its ability to match the pink marble of adjacent museum structures. The size of the aggregate initially presented a threat to the structural integrity during freeze-thaw cycles, but the Wells team sourced an entire quarry to produce a compatible crushed aggregate that met the aesthetic and performance criteria, balancing visual exposure with matrix cohesion.
Overall, the 859 precast concrete panels manufactured for the project delivered numerous benefits to the Rhonda & Howard Hawks Pavilion, especially in the realm of sustainability. The system’s reduced weight contributed to structural efficiency, lowering the carbon footprint of both materials and transportation. Additionally, off-site fabrication improved quality control and reduced waste, while the use of HPC extended the anticipated lifespan of the cladding system well beyond that of conventional alternatives. The result is a striking structure that delivers on both form and function, enhancing the visitor experience and providing an even more welcoming facility for all the Joslyn’s visitors.
Mason Nichols is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based writer and editor who has covered the precast concrete industry since 2013. |