Mortenson
Climate Pledge Arena

Our work was featured primarily in the high-end restaurants and bars as well as the suites and private clubs, all designed by rockwell group.

One of major challenges on the project was the Blackened Steel finishes on all the steel surfaces in these areas. This was not an off the shelf finish and was a highly interpretive process that required ongoing collaboration with the design teams and the general contractor to achieve the finish. We recognized early on that solving the finish was the key to winning the project and set to work during the bid process of better defining the finish and providing solutions to achieving those finishes. Through that process we built the trust necessary to be the chosen vendor and winning the business.

ASTOUND’s primary scope was the Ornamental Metals on the project but also completed Millwork for other spaces like the Team Store. The blackened steel finish has thousands of possible finish outcomes and is the result of choosing the base materials, the type of blacking used ( multiple layers of chemical baths over the materials ) and the pigmentation and sealers on top of that to create the look required. The design team wanted a look that could best be described as “ Industrial Chic “. They wanted to bring out the natural textures of hot rolled steel as well as the discolorations only the edges of a flame cut shaping process. This look wanted to be deliberate but have a subtle gradation across the sheet as well as final sealer that gave a smooth finish to the touch.

The result is evident on the pictures provided which was all received very positively by Ownership, Populous and Rockwell and the GC, MA Mortenson. Perhaps the greatest compliment came at the end of the project when Rockwell Group let is know that they had been specifying this process for years and our approach was by far the most successful. They are now writing our finishes solutions into the specs for future projects which will be called ASTOUND Blackened Steel.

Project Management, Engineering, Custom Fabrication, Turnkey Installation

• 19 Premium Suite Spaces on the event level
• 11 premium bar spaces
• (30) Decorative column wraps on suite level and main concourses
• (4) Amazon Just Walk Out Markets
• Miscellaneous extras like toe kicks and footrail