Pennsylvania Judicial Center Garage

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Location: Harrisburg, Pa.

Type of Precast: Structural including double tees, shear walls and spandrel panels

Size: 247,000 sq. ft., 805 parking spaces

Architect and Engineer: Vitetta Group Architects, Inc.
General Contractor: Alexander Building Construction LLC
Owner: Department of General Services

Overview

Quick Points

• Windows helped blend garage with other urban campus buildings
• Limestone appearance on exterior elevations
• Formliner used to create art deco details

Content

Summary
Garage Blends Seamlessly with Surrounding Buildings

Aesthetics
Finish Mimics Indiana Limestone at a Fraction of the Cost

Other Details
Security and On Time, On Budget Delivery

Summary

Parking Garage Blends Seamlessly with Surrounding Buildings

In the past, parking garages were viewed simply from a practical perspective, but today aesthetics are just as important as functionality. However, creating an attractive appearance from a structure that is extremely limited in architectural orientation poses a challenge.

So when Vitetta Group Architects was selected to create an attractive parking garage that blended seamlessly with the surrounding structures at Harrisburg’s Capitol Complex they turned to High Concrete Group LLC.

The five-level, 247,000 sq. ft. garage capital complex parking garage consists of 805-spaces to serve state employees and visitors for the Pennsylvania Judicial Center, the administrative center for Pennsylvania’s Unified Judicial System.

Aesthetics

Finish Mimics Indiana Limestone at a Fraction of The Cost

The precast concrete components have a light and medium sandblast buff finish, which matches the Indiana limestone used on the Judicial Center and the other buildings of the complex. At a distance the precast looks like limestone, but at a significant cost savings compared to using real limestone for the facade.

“We wanted the parking deck to look as much like a building as possible,” says JoAnn Jolin, project architect at Vitetta Group. “We hid the ramp inside the structure and utilized square openings on the exterior to mimic windows.”

Formliner was used to create architectural details including horizontal reveals in the third and fourth floor spandrels. Fifth floor spandrels also received formliner details comprising of a circle and block theme reminiscent of art deco architecture that enhances the aesthetic of the building. The roof features unique metal screens that cast linear shadows complementing the horizontal design theme. Metal accent columns extend from the second to the fifth floors and increase architectural interest.

Other Details

Security and On Time, On Budget Delivery

Large openings in the spandrels and shear walls together with light walls permit maximum light penetration into the interior creating a bright, safe parking area. The openings also provided ventilation so a ventilation system was not required. In addition, the precast structure accommodates two glass-enclosed stair and elevator towers that provide added security for guests.

The precast elements were fabricated off-site and delivered for immediate erection without concerns for the material and equipment storage had the designers opted for field-construction methods – critical in the tightly compacted capitol region. Because precast concrete is manufactured in a controlled factory environment, the developer avoided weather delays and costly setbacks in the field, which helped keep the much-needed parking garage on schedule.

High’s precast concrete elements helped the project erect smoothly while achieving an attractive look consistent with the surrounding buildings.