Skanska USA was the general contractor of the 23,000-square-foot project. Kenpat USA was the subcontractor responsible for the design, manufacturing and installation of the exterior metal façades and structural wall systems. This included the installation of:
• 42 pre-fabricated concave and tapering structural panelized units as sub-structure for the sail wall cladding, with the largest being 36 feet by 10 feet.
• 245 Custom Aluminum Composite Material (ACM) panels on the “sail” wall
• 12,454 SF of 4mm fire-rated core Aluminum Composite Material (ACM) panels on the North, West and East sides
• 1,442 SF of .125" solid aluminum round panels with a custom engineered support system compensating for the deviation of the steel on the East and West columns.
• Interior framing and finishing
KENPAT self-performed 85% of this scope.
Overview
An integral part of Florida’s Space Coast and Canaveral Cove’s revitalization, Exploration Tower is owned by Canaveral Port Authority. Its opening coincided with the Port’s 60th anniversary of its establishment and the 500th anniversary of Ponce de Leon’s landing on Florida’s east coast. The new seven-story Port Canaveral Exploration Tower Welcome Center features historical exhibits on the Port Canaveral area, from the first settlers to the 21st century space program. “The building’s dynamic form and features – sun louvers, exposed structure and iridescent skin – contribute to a constant sense of movement as the sun plays across the structure, meet functional needs, and evoke imagery of the Port and Brevard County,” noted a project statement by the architect. “A rocket ready to launch, a surfboard in the sand, a ship’s hull, a rocket contrail; all can be seen in the structure’s striking presence.”
