Seeking to attract more visitors to a renovated art museum at the California State University (CSU) Long Beach Horn Center, an offset diamond-shaped structure clad in metal seam panels was designed to catch the eye.

Designed by Pfeiffer Partners Architects, now part of Perkins Eastman, the updated 4,000 square-foot Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum sits inside the 53,000 square -foot Horn Center housing new classrooms, lecture halls, all-gender restrooms, a computer lab, outdoor seating areas and a sculpture garden in the courtyards.

The unique, diamond-shaped metal façade references the geometry of the nearby Walter Pyramid athletic facility, one of four pyramid-shape arenas in the country.

The original facility was designed by campus architect Edward Killingsworth’s office, built in 1987, and formerly served as the University’s North Library. Eventually the building became a student services center, named after campus president Steve Horn, offering academic counseling, learning assistance, and the University’s largest computer lab.

The University Art Museum moved to the Horn Center and in 2019, it was endowed by and renamed after artist and philanthropist Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld.

Whereas the pre-renovated space could only host two exhibitions at a time, the new museum features expanded galleries for multiple exhibitions, available for viewing free of charge to the public.

To support the UV-sensitive displays and galleries, a predominantly window-less building enclosure was required. This provided the architects with an opportunity to design the striking metal façade and roof, which presents like three large building blocks tilted to the side.

The roof is comprised of ATAS Dutch Seam continuous standing seam metal roof panels and SterraCore metal composite panels.

The metal Dutch Seam panels are made with .032 aluminum Champagne with stiffening ribs. The system is designed with an integral seam, thereby eliminating the need to install a separate seam cap. The structural metal roof panels fasten directly to the substrate. Additionally, the MCM panels’ clip and seal installation produces an exceptionally flat appearance.

Tracking LEED Silver certification, the selection of metal panels helped the project team earn LEED points in the material and resources, and building product disclosure and optimization categories for sourcing raw materials and providing environmental product declarations (EPDs). As part of the Metal Construction Association’s industry-wide EPD for aluminum and steel single skin roof and wall panels, ATAS easily provided the EPDs, which document the fully recyclable content used in the aluminum.

“The new LEED Silver Certified Museum is being built to serve the campus as a living laboratory for cultural exploration and a showcase of the campus’ aggressive sustainability commitment,” stated the University’s Director of Design and Building Services Mark Zakhour. “Intentional selection of native plants in landscaping, use of sustainable and local building materials, integration of solar panels, energy-efficient design, green cleaning and maintenance plans, and investment in long-lasting learning technologies were key aspects of the build that contributed to the sustainability rating.”

In addition, an advanced HVAC system fine tunes the temperature and humidity to protect the presented art and works stored in the museum’s vault.