RAM - Royal Alberta Museum

[EdmTrekker]

Originally Posted by Hardhatdan

Fella, Tyndall stone is limestone, it's just a specific subset quarried in Manitoba that has lots of fossils and a has an interesting pattern.
I've said before I like this finish without a close look its a bit less patterned and cleaner, haven't had an up close look though.
My issue has been with the north facd and a worry of it being much more "blank" and uninteresting than the original renderings that incorporated parts of the old station (it looked like).
I'm looking forward to taking a walk around the building to see how it "feels" in it's finished form.

I know what Tyndall stone is - and it is has a richer creamy colour withe mottling that makes it much more attractive for use in exterior finish. It looks great on the Fed Building and we see it in a few other places in Edmonton. The limestone quaried in Alberta, the vast majority of it is used to make concrete as anyone knows. Where the limestone on RAM is from I don't know - but I doubt its solid and more likely StoneLight Panels or similar: (looks like Leuders but they do custom for large jobs).

http://www.stonepanels.com/available-stone/limestone/

Todays release from GoA stated (Minister did) "Natural materials were chosen for strength, beauty and durability. Limestone covers the museum’s exterior walls and is used in the interior public spaces along with granite flooring." It did not say the limestone on the walls was from Alberta.

[buk]

Originally Posted by EdmTrekker

I know what Tyndall stone is - and it is has a richer creamy colour withe mottling that makes it much more attractive for use in exterior finish. It looks great on the Fed Building and we see it in a few other places in Edmonton. The limestone quaried in Alberta, the vast majority of it is used to make concrete as anyone knows. Where the limestone on RAM is from I don't know - but I doubt its solid and more likely StoneLight Panels or similar: (looks like Leuders but they do custom for large jobs).

http://www.stonepanels.com/available-stone/limestone/

Todays release from GoA stated (Minister did) "Natural materials were chosen for strength, beauty and durability. Limestone covers the museum’s exterior walls and is used in the interior public spaces along with granite flooring." It did not say the limestone on the walls was from Alberta.

Get yer facts straight.
FFS.

[Coldrsx]

Originally Posted by itom 987

You're welcome.

Hi five!

[Catch22]

Edmtrekker - You are correct, the panels are 100% solid limestone, as some others have pointed out, including the source vendor. The vendor (on their webpage) indicated that this was a value added, (not value engineered) finish as it was essentially a no cost change from precast to the higher quality stone finish.
My comment regarding the inability for some posters to distinguish between the two finishes arose from some comments that showed up in July in this thread that clearly show that the posters believed the finish to be precast.
After reading several comments, I did word searches for 'Tyndal' on a number of government ministry and infrastructure websites, the Dialog website, and the Museum website and got no hits back - with regards to the RAM project. Perhaps you would be kind enough to point me to where this misunderstanding arose from.

[EdmTrekker]

Originally Posted by Catch22

Edmtrekker - You are correct, the panels are 100% solid limestone, as some others have pointed out, including the source vendor. The vendor (on their webpage) indicated that this was a value added, (not value engineered) finish as it was essentially a no cost change from precast to the higher quality stone finish.
My comment regarding the inability for some posters to distinguish between the two finishes arose from some comments that showed up in July in this thread that clearly show that the posters believed the finish to be precast.
After reading several comments, I did word searches for 'Tyndal' on a number of government ministry and infrastructure websites, the Dialog website, and the Museum website and got no hits back - with regards to the RAM project. Perhaps you would be kind enough to point me to where this misunderstanding arose from.

July 22nd on this very thread I wrote (which apparently you missed in your skimming):

"I know the inside is better - but the exterior form being square square square lacks any interesting form or the choice of materials (precast concrete) makes it look quite boring. Originally it was to be stone...tyndall stone. Alas we have precast concrete that was bleeding water the other day quite badly on the front West walls when I was by.

The AI website still says "installation of stone"... paragraph 2:
http://www.infrastructure.alberta.ca/3654.htm

Donna Clare responded as per C2E and Moahunter thus: "Donna Clare: The proposed exterior material palette is a combination of precast concrete panels and glass. The intent is to incorporate relief work into the concrete panels to embody stories of the museum and Alberta into the very fabric of the building."

15-09-2011, 01:10 PM
http://www.connect2edmonton.ca/archi...-2727-p-5.html

So perhaps you know where the reference to concrete came from...the Architect - Donna Clare. Why dont you give her a call and enlighten her?

That said AI have updated their website on the file 3654 from the link I had provided previously and removed the reference to Tyndall stone. You can look for web archives of this page on the web if you're a sleuth.

Btw, Tyndall is spelled with 2 letter "L"s perhaps why you could not find it. Alberta Culture website does mention Tyndall stone as follows:

"Also, unique terrazzo flooring and Tyndall limestone panels were reclaimed from the post office and will be revived in the courtyard of the museum's outdoor café." You will notice they are literate and correctly spell Tyndall.

http://www.royalalbertamuseum.ca/new/background.cfm

[Coldrsx]

Hammer down!

[MalcolmTucker]

Glad they were able to keep the terrazzo floors - seems they get value engineered for much shorter life floors in many projects.

[EdmTrekker]

Yes boss.

[Airboy]

Photo 5, It is nice to see they kept the metal grating from the post office and the clock form the south wall.

[s211]

Originally Posted by EdmTrekker

So perhaps you know where the reference to concrete came from...the Architect - Donna Clare. Why dont you give her a call and enlighten her?

From the tone of Mr./Mrs./Ms. 22's original post, which I have to say was pretty defensive for a first foray onto the forum, I'd lay even odds that 22 need only walk down the hall to Donna's office/cubicle.

[Catch22]

Originally Posted by s211

From the tone of Mr./Mrs./Ms. 22's original post, which I have to say was pretty defensive for a first foray onto the forum, I'd lay even odds that 22 need only walk down the hall to Donna's office/cubicle.

Put your money where your mouth is. Even odds - I'll go a c note on that inference that I have ever worked for, or am currently employed by Dialog.
I'm a certified trades person. I'm a business Owner. I'm an Albertan that has more than a half century of life invested in this province and what it stands for.
I'm an environmentalist, a volunteer, a coach.
What I am not is a paid toady to any one. I resent the inference and call on you to withdraw it.

[kcantor]

for those that are true trivia buffs, tyndall stone doesn't come from tyndall.

tyndall stone comes from a quarry operated by gillis quarries in garson, manitoba - which is about 35 km outside winnipeg - and which was first opened in the late 1800's. at the time, there was no railroad station in garson, the closest one being in tyndall. when shipped, all of the stone was identified as coming from tyndall as it was the shipping point, not the originating point, of the stone. the name has since been trademarked by gillis and the stone is as beautiful as always, rich in well preserved fossils and varying through different shades of brown/beige to different shades of greys depending on what part of the quarry and how deep in the quarry the stone is cut from. the company is still a family owned and operated business. we have used tyndall stone inside and out on many of our projects and it has a high profile and tradition locally including the stone at city hall and at the old museum. the supplier may consider the end material in the new museum an upgrade but that would be an opinion i don't share as it doesn't offer the warmth or texture either visually or tactilely (if that's a word) of tyndall stone. how a museum of natural history can be considered upgraded by moving from a material rich in fossils to a material devoid of them escapes me.

[Coldrsx]

Thanks Ken, that was really quite interesting. The more you know!

[EdmTrekker]

I just went on walkabout and looked at the Tyndall Stone on Beaverhouse on 103 Street. Absolutely beautiful. Then over to the new Museum where we spent 30 minutes street side looking at the colourations on what has been mentioned as Indiana limestone. We observed (our eyes anyway) colour of the panels the NW block of the building are much darker than what is on the front South facing block that contains the entry. Here they are lighter and almost creamy.

The link provided to the Indiana Limestone Co. supplying the RAM project stated:

"a full-range blend in Indiana Limestone Co.’s prized gray color was selected. The stone is being delivered in 2’x5′ precut panels, each 50 mm or 65 mm thick. They are hung on the museum’s exterior walls and laid in mortar."

The website product pages describe full range thus: "A natural compilation of the full range of buff to medium gray shades with the same great subtle veining".

This likely explains why the panels look different depending where you are viewing the building from (in out case we were SW). Maybe when I rub it after if opens I will learn to like it.

On a more critical note we noticed the small RAM signage in the front (SW) corner is VERY awkward and appears to be placed there as an after thought. "Royal Alberta" is placed half on the stone and half on the balcony glass, with Museum in large type on the stone panels. Its clear there was no room - so someone thought of doing it this way so it could be seen driving or walking up 99th. Unfortunately, it looks lame the ways its placed and it is very obscured from the South by wires, lights and power pole as we observed when standing on the Southside of both corners on 99th and 104th Ave. Signage on the ground would have looked far better...in fact the old museum has one that could have been relocated or replicated.

[Black Star]

Are you talking about this.

[QUOTE=hilman;7532456]

[Kokkei Mizu]

Might as well add my photos to the rest... Taken today.


Royal Alberta Museum by Chris Vazquez, on Flickr


Royal Alberta Museum by Chris Vazquez, on Flickr


Royal Alberta Museum by Chris Vazquez, on Flickr


Royal Alberta Museum by Chris Vazquez, on Flickr


Royal Alberta Museum by Chris Vazquez, on Flickr

[mcc16]

I really like it. Both the jubilee and winspear come to mind when I see these pictures. I'm not sure if it's the glass/colour combo or what...

[Rogie]

Originally Posted by Kokkei Mizu

Might as well add my photos to the rest... Taken today.


Royal Alberta Museum by Chris Vazquez, on Flickr

Small detail, but I like that they preserved the clock that was on the old Post Office. Nice touch.

[kcantor]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Thanks Ken, that was really quite interesting. The more you know!

you're welcome...

although i think it might just that the more you know the older you are.

[Landlocked]

Originally Posted by mcc16

I really like it. Both the jubilee and winspear come to mind when I see these pictures. I'm not sure if it's the glass/colour combo or what...

My only problem with the RAM is that the 97th ST view is uninspiring, especially when compared to the other side of the building. It's what I would expect for a back alley view.