Commercial Architecture May 2017 - 30

PROJECT

interiors

Above. The ceiling panels were manufactured in triangular pods of three-to-six panels each with each pod representing a different plane or facet in the
ceiling. Each pod had its own suspension system and was pre-assembled with the suspension system attached.
Left. To prevent light from leaking through the corners where the ceiling pods intersect, star shapes were cut out of gasket material and installed above
the intersections to make sure light only comes through the perforations.

sign required for the 600-sq.-ft. ceiling. "This was a

worry about a multitude of hanging points and building

complex geometric design," stated Armstrong design en-

a spider-web ceiling grid, one piece at a time, the contrac-

To prevent light from leaking through the corners of

gineer Dan Holdridge, who worked with Gensler on the

tor only had to worry about the elevations where a group

the ceiling pods, the contractor installed extra gasketing.

project. "There were approximately 160 ceiling panels

of pods joined together," explained Holdridge.

"We cut star shapes out of the gasketing material and in-

with different sizes and shapes and each pod had its own
custom suspension system."

material around it, which gives it a cleaner look."

Months in advance of the actual installation, the con-

stalled them above where the corners of the triangles in-

tractor installed a plywood ceiling below the deck and

tersect to make sure the light only comes through the

The lantern visual was created by cutting triangu-

asked Solutions Center designers to plot every point of

perforations."

lar-shaped perforations into the aluminum panels, pow-

suspension in AutoCAD. "[Armstrong Ceilings] indicat-

At one end of the bar, the lantern ceiling drops down

der-coating them with a bronze finish, and backing them

ed where every drop needed to be to suspend the ceiling

to meet a structural column encased in bronze millwork.

with custom Armstrong Infusions infill panels in a gold-

and put it in the drawing," explained Doxey. "Then, us-

"That was probably the most difficult part of the project,"

en-brown color. The Infusions panels have a paper-thin

ing our rotary-laser system, we were able to plot every

said Doxey. "The ceiling comes down and creates a reveal

ghost layer inside to help diffuse the light coming from

hanging point on the floor and transfer them to the ply-

around the millwork. We were working with an existing

LED fixtures behind the ceiling and provide the desired

wood ceiling. That took out a lot of the layout time. As a

structure that could not be moved so we had to make

warm glow.

result, we had all of our anchor points already secured

sure the ceiling would coordinate with it."

The panels were manufactured in triangular pods of
approximately three to six panels each with each pod rep-

through the plywood three months before we installed
JEWEL OF A CEILING

the ceiling."

resenting a different plane or facet in the ceiling. Each

When installing the ceiling, the contractor suspended

Etihad was so pleased with the result that it replicated the

pod was 6 to 8 ft. in size. The ceiling is made up of about

the pods with a threaded-rod system and made adjust-

ceiling design in its lounge at Los Angeles International

50 pods.

ments to the heights as needed. "At that point, all we had

Airport and plans to make the lantern ceiling a hallmark

to do was crank the pods up and down until we got them

of its lounges in other destinations around the world. The

to the height on the drawing," added Doxey.

lantern ceiling won Gold in the Ceilings category, East

KEY TO SUCCESS

Key to the success of the project was the 3D model the

At the contractor's request, the You Inspire Solutions

Region, in the 2017 Ceilings & Interior Systems Con-

You Inspire Solutions Center created to help the architect

Center designers also incorporated 6-in.-dia. round metal

struction Association (CISCA) Construction Excellence

and client visualize what the ceiling would look like. The

panels into the ceiling-panel design where high-hat light

Awards. "The lantern ceiling has become the jewel-the

model also provided installation solutions by making it

fixtures would be installed. "We were able to drill through

showcase piece within the lounge-that ties together the

easier to understand how the ceiling would be suspended.

the solid material and center the light fixture on that,"

different elements in the Etihad brand," stated Johnson.

To facilitate installation, the ceiling pods were pre-as-

explained Doxey. "That way, we wouldn't have the effect

"This is what we set out to accomplish in our design vi-

sembled with the suspension systems attached. "That

where the fixture is half on a perforation or not. Instead,

sion. The team worked really hard to make sure the actual

made our job a whole lot easier," said Robert Doxey, proj-

the fixture has a nice half-inch border of the solid panel

installed piece maintained the integrity of that vision." CA

ect manager for Cord Contracting Co. Inc., Woodbury,
NY, who worked with Armstrong Ceilings to achieve the
best finished installation. "Then, basically, all we had to
do was bolt the pods together."
The pre-assembled ceiling pods were designed to automatically hang at the proper slope angles when bolted
together, greatly reducing the number of hanging points
the installer would need to locate. "Instead of having to
30

COMMERCI A L A RCHI T EC T URE

MAY 2017

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