Rustic metal architecture native to Mississippi Delta shines on new Grammy Museum
Similar to its sister museum in Los Angeles, the Grammy Museum in Cleveland, Miss., is dedicated to presenting the past, present and future of music, and the cultural context from which it emerges. Logically, the stylistic new structure shines a focused spotlight on the deep musical roots of its Mississippi environment.
Architectural services for the project was a joint venture with Dale Partners in both Jackson and Biloxi, Miss., and Eley | Barkley in Cleveland, Miss. Jason Agostinelli, AIA, partner at Dale Partners, said, “The design concept was to create a building as contemporary as the internationally recognized brand it represents, while still resonating with the Mississippi Delta vernacular. The blending of these two themes helps reinforce the fact that Mississippi has a deep musical heritage, but is still relevant in today’s music scene.”
The Museum is located on the campus of Delta State University and is set back at the end of a long drive that frames the structure on the expansive horizon line of the Mississippi Delta. The 27,000 sq. ft. museum offers a dynamic combination of multimedia presentations, interactive displays and permanent and traveling exhibits. It also includes a 120-seat sound stage, classrooms and administrative areas.
The design team selected corrugated metal for the majority of the exterior cladding, which references the Delta’s rustic culture. “There are a lot of metal panel products on the market that we could have used,” Agostinelli said. “We were very deliberate about our selection of the exposed-fastener corrugated—much like you would see on many agricultural buildings throughout the Delta. The forms of the building lent itself to any number of different types of skins to deliver the contemporary look, but the corrugated metal was obviously the right choice.”
More than 30,000 sq. ft. of Petersen’s PAC-CLAD ½-in. Corrugated Panels was used on the Grammy Museum. The 24 gauge panels were finished in Cool Color Weathered Zinc installed with mitered corners. “We wanted to use the corrugated in a contemporary way. So rather than handling the corners in a traditional manner, we specified mitered corners. That was an important part of the look,” Agostinelli said.
The mitered corners were significant, according to installer Gordon Jones, president of Ralph Jones Sheet Metal in Arlington, Tenn. “Normally there is a trim flashing, so mitered corrugated is really unusual. These corrugated panels were all custom-made to fit the building—about 160 panels premade with inside miters and outside miters. The building is basically trimless at the corners,” Jones said.
The building presents an interesting mix of four metal panel profiles, including the Corrugated Panels. Approximately 2,700 sq. ft. of perforated aluminum 7.2 Panels were used to clad and accent an upper volume of the building. The perforated .032-in. panels were finished in a custom color green, and allow light into the building while decreasing its mass.
Petersen’s Tite-Loc Plus Panels were used to roof an open-air canopy over the large porch on the front of the building. Approximately 3,700 sq. ft. of the 24 gauge, mechanically seamed panels were finished in Cool Color Bone White. “Front porches are inherently Southern, and the south-facing porch was designed to provide a welcoming feel as well as accommodate large groups of people during functions and events,” Agostinelli said.
Additionally, nearly 1,000 sq. ft. of Petersen’s PAC-CLAD 12-in. Flush Panels were used in various soffit and interior applications.
All four PAC-CLAD profiles were installed by Ralph Jones Sheet Metal. The firm has a long relationship as a strategic partner with Petersen. “They’re about the only people we work with when we’re buying sheet metal,” Gordon Jones said. “Virtually all of our metal roofing, metal siding and architectural sheet metal comes from Petersen. The only time we use someone else is when it’s a lock spec, and that’s pretty unusual. They’re really a quality partner.”