Gilbane and Welliver Complete Corning Museum of Glass Expansion Project

CORNING, N.Y., April 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Gilbane Building Company and Welliver are pleased to announce the completion of the new $64 million, 100,000 square foot Contemporary Art + Design Wing at the Corning Museum of Glass. Designed by Thomas Phifer and Partners, the museum's new wing features a custom glass facade and skylight system, and provides the museum with 26,000 square feet of additional gallery exhibit space, as well as space for glassblowing demonstrations and live glass design sessions. Gilbane and Welliver served as construction managers for the unique and complex project.

The 'heart' of the Contemporary Art + Design Wing is the new 500-seat Hot Shop Amphitheater located in what was previously the Steuben Glass manufacturing facility. Aligned with the development of this space is the re-design of the main access hall from the primary visitor's entrance located on the east elevation of the facility. The design concept required the installation of a 25,000 square foot glass roof to allow top light into the gallery.

"We are honored to have served as construction managers for the Corning Museum of Glass expansion project," said John LaRow, vice president at Gilbane Building Company. "The collaboration between owner, architect, and our team made this a successful project. We are proud to have played a role in bringing this beautiful new space to the museum and its visitors."

A key to the success of the project was the ability of Gilbane and Welliver to work closely with both Thomas Phifer and Partners and the Museum to develop an approach to the unique and complex facade envisioned for the project. The strategy was to engage custom design-assist facade companies as partners during the design development stage. Working towards construction details, Gilbane and Welliver collaborated with the design team to expedite details and create cost effective solutions to complex interfaces of other building systems.

On the 25,000 square foot skylight system above the gallery space, a key design feature with 980 glass panels, the team was able to reduce the overall cost without impacting the overall vision of the design. The construction management team worked closely with the architect, engineer, owner, and design-assist contractor to review constructability details and specification opportunities to yield the cost reduction without technical or aesthetic compromise.

Welliver CEO, Scott Welliver stated, "This unique building is a true testament to the abilities and talent of the entire project team and our local trades professionals and subcontractors. You can see the pride of work in every piece of the facility. The sheer magnitude of coordination and teamwork required to deliver this project just as the architect and owner envisioned took strict management down to the last detail. It was a true team effort that resulted in a captivating new facility that the museum can use to tell the world about glass."

The Corning Museum of Glass opened its new wing to the public on Friday, March 20, 2015.

About Gilbane Building Company

Gilbane provides a full slate of construction and facilities-related services – from sustainable building to the latest in construction technology – for clients across various markets. Founded in 1873 and still a privately held, family-run company, Gilbane has more than 50 office locations around the world.

Working in the State of New York since 1949, Gilbane has built a number of Upstate New York's highest profile public projects such as the facilities for the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, NY, the General Services Administration U.S. Land Port of Entry, Massena, NY, and the award-winning renovations of the New York State Capitol Building in Albany, NY. Other upstate New York clients include General Motors, Cornell University, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Corning Incorporated, Albany Medical Center, and the Trudeau Institute.

For more information, visit www.gilbaneco.com.

About Welliver

A fourth- and fifth-generation family-owned company, Welliver continues to grow as one of the region's leading construction providers in Central New York. Founded in 1898, Welliver has provided quality commercial construction solutions, from pre-construction to final project delivery, for clients in healthcare, higher education, K-12, and manufacturing for 117 years.

A proud partner of the Corning Museum of Glass and an established builder in the Southern Tier, Welliver has also completed high-profile projects for Cornell University, Corning Incorporated, Binghamton University, Guthrie Healthcare System, Elmira College, and Dresser-Rand.  

For more information, visit www.buildwelliver.com.

SOURCE Gilbane Building Company

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