WAVE

RETURN TO PROJECTS

Winning the 2009 Merit Award in Structural Engineering by the Structural Engineers Association of Arizona, WAVE is a stunning gateway for the Palm Beach County Convention Center in Palm Beach, Florida. Five arches consisting of aluminum box trusses enclosed by aluminum perforated plate are wired with kinetic LED lights that illuminate in intervals to create the feel of an ocean wave radiating over the exterior ballroom patio. The arches sequentially grow in height from 17 ft. to 30 ft. above the patio floor.

M3 provided structural design services for this artwork that is governed by severe regional conditions. The corrosion resisting behavior of aluminum performs well in sea air; however, the strength and stiffness of aluminum is considerably lower than structural steel but can still withstand hurricane winds. The box truss formation provides the needed strength for aluminum and the arches bolt into structural steel frames inside the existing building wall, protected from the environmental elements.