Ronstan Tensile Architecture lends support to the new Long Beach Transit Visitor and Information Center in Long Beach, CA by supplying end termination hardware. Ronstan products brace the artistic tension fabric membrane structure that shades the Center, complementing its reflective white fabric with the beauty of stainless steel.
As part of the Long Beach Transit Mall, the new Transit Center brings a modern and refined elegance to its surroundings. The sweeping tension fabric membrane overhead is curved to emulate the waves of the nearby Pacific Ocean, and provides shading for the structure. It is suspended by sleek cabling, which is affixed with Ronstan compact adjusters and stainless steel wires.
“We are very happy to contribute to such a beautiful project,” says Andrew Trowbridge, Architectural and Industrial Manager – West Coast at Ronstan International Inc. “Architects continue to specify Ronstan because our products are both finely-crafted and stylish, and this structure highlights those capabilities.”
Completed in 2008, the building houses helpful services for transit customers and employees. Its 22 rooms/areas include several restrooms, an ATM/vending room, a customer service support area, and a voice/data/video equipment room. Patrons enjoy the utility of the space inside, and appreciate the external façade as a public work of art outside. Ronstan was chosen to contribute hardware to the facility because of its reputation for well-made products and quality service.
“Ronstan is the gold standard for stainless steel fittings,” says Craig G. Huntington, president of Huntington Design Associates, Inc., and structural engineer of the project. “The hardware is of high quality, and Ronstan’s customer service and detailed product documentation allowed us to address complex geometries and loading conditions successfully.”
Construction on the Long Beach Transit Visitor and Information Center was made possible by federal stimulus funding. The project team consisted of architect Miralles Associates, Inc, formerly of Altadena, CA., structural engineer Huntington Design Associates, Inc., Oakland, CA, and general contractor/builder AWI Builders, Los Angeles, CA.
