Project Overview
Central Florida is a hotbed of activity every year as locals and tourists seek the magic and thrills of disconnecting from day-to-day life at the region’s most well-known theme parks. Universal Studios, which opened in 1990, has expanded considerably in the past three decades. In 2023, Universal Studios Florida hosted 9.75 million people, while Universal’s second park, Islands of Adventure, brought in 10 million. Recently, Universal opened its third theme park in the area, Epic Universe. The new 750-acre development not only brings new rides and thrills to Orlando, but also the need for additional hotel accommodations. As part of that effort, Universal began the design process for two nine-story hotel towers—Stella Nova Resort and Terra Luna Resort—located just minutes from Epic Universe. These sister resorts, which together provide 1500 guest rooms, were designed with complementary cosmic themes, blending immersive architectural experiences with high-performance building systems. FINFROCK, which served as the project’s architect, engineer, and general contractor, leveraged a total–precast concrete system as the structural solution for the project, helping to meet a demanding timeline, quality standards, and durability goals.
Epic Precast Concrete
To achieve the design intent for the resorts’ distinctive curved façades, custom precast concrete solutions were developed that pushed the limits of formwork manufacturing and precision. Project-specific curved forms were engineered to shape the structural precast concrete components, allowing the building envelope to follow the unique architectural geometry. A key innovation that helped make this possible entailed the design and fabrication of highly specialized three-dimensional moldings to integrate window openings directly into these curved members. The molds required tight dimensional tolerances to ensure a proper fit and finish. Using this approach eliminated the need for additional field framing or adjustments, improved production efficiency, and maintained the architectural rhythm of the façade, delivering both form and function in a seamless precast concrete solution.
Due to the interior design of the structures, there were areas where structural walls were not permitted and only slim steel columns were allowed. To ensure that the steel columns could remain slender, the precast concrete superstructure in each resort needed to accommodate the lateral loads from the steel portion of the buildings and transfer them to the remaining precast concrete elements. To decrease time spent erecting in the field, additional efforts were made to coordinate support locations for the steel and cast-in embeds for the connections for the steel supplier. This was just one of many advantages that precast concrete delivered to the project.
“Precast concrete offered every advantage we needed: resiliency, speed, and precision,” says John Blanchard, executive vice president of manufacturing at FINFROCK. “To meet the project’s design demands, we invested in custom forms, including both flat and curved elements. This flexibility not only enhanced the architectural expression but also allowed us to streamline production.”
The dimensional accuracy of precast concrete was vital in creating a continuous flow around the radius and curved corners of the two resorts. Specialized formwork was used to maintain tight tolerances and allow increased repetition. The larger-radius curved precast concrete panels were poured “flat” on concave and convex forms to create the large sweeping curves of the main structure, while the more tightly curved panels on each buildings’ corners were poured in vertical curved forms. A precast, prestressed concrete floor system was also installed to match up with the curved walls, maximizing usable square footage for Universal. The exteriors of Stella Nova and Terra Luna feature a stainless-steel cladding system on the outside to make each building appear as a shifting galaxy throughout the day. This system includes more than 140,000 dichroic tiles, all supported by precast concrete structural walls that also provide soundproofing and resilience.
Ultimately, precast concrete allowed the project team to meet an aggressive schedule, meet quality and cost goals, and achieve a rapid on-site assembly.
“This project strengthens the Central Florida community by supporting tourism development and expanding lodging options near one of the region’s most important economic drivers,” Blanchard says. “Beyond the immediate impact of new jobs during construction, the completed development enhances the local economy by welcoming more visitors, which will benefit surrounding businesses and services for years to come.”
Mason Nichols is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based writer and editor who has covered the precast concrete industry since 2013. |