The new 16.3 million dollars air traffic control tower at the Newcastle International Airport in Newcastle, England, was completed in September 2007. Designed by 3D Reid Architects, London, this distinctive 150-foot- (46-m-) high vase-like structure boasts several cascading tiers of tapered panels by Kalzip Inc., Michigan City, Ind. The project utilized 9,750 square feet (906 m~2) of 0.035-inch (0.9-mm) 65/400 aluminum standing-seam panels with widths varying between 12 and 18 inches (305 and 457 mm). The Kalzip system provided a cost-effective, compact solution that served to complete the striking geometry of the futuristic building. While the three tiers of Kalzip panels at the bottom of the tower were comparatively easy to complete, the two-story, 50-ton (45-metric-ton) top module had to be preassembled on-site with the aid of a jig and then lifted into place by a 500-ton (450-metric-ton) mobile crane.
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