Photo ©Megan Belanger Photography/courtesy AGS and Apogee Architectural Metals
An aluminum door with a wood grain finish creates a sense of grandeur in the entry of Silver Stone Castle, mimicking a medieval aesthetic with the performance of modern metal.
The newly opened venue greets guests with a grand entrance befitting the medieval-themed, 8,361 m2 (90,000 sf) entertainment destination in Swansea, Mass. The gothic-arched, portcullis entry looks and feels like ancient, hearty timbers, but is made of modern, durable aluminum finished in textured, wood grain and terra cotta specialty coatings.
“The owners initially said they wanted a wood entrance,” said Joe Belanger, president of Architectural Glazing Systems Inc (AGS). “The wood door sales rep explained to the general contractor [GC] and project owner that without a substantial overhang to help protect the doors, transom area and portcullis from the elements, you would be looking at a time consuming and costly annual maintenance condition if using all wood product for this exposure. He then suggested the alternative of making everything out of aluminum with a high-performance wood grain finish application.”
Unlike real wood, the wood grain coatings for aluminum resist weather, humidity, chemicals, corrosion, fire, UV light, insects and scratches. Once installed, the finished metal does not warp, rot or need extra maintenance. The durability of these products often exceeds their lifetime on the building, as the aluminum can be recycled for future use.
To elicit the intended visual effect, Silver Stone Castle’s enticing entrance as a four-leaf, wood-look doorway was custom made with oversized hardware. Above the doors is a large, curved section that appears to be solid wood. Onto this transom area is an overlay resembling an open gate. To convey the gate’s wrought-iron aesthetic, this portion features a dark terra cotta color.
“These are all separate pieces,” said Belanger. “We did the layout and we figured out how to make it using panels and 1- x 4-in. [25.4- x 101.6-mm] framing.”
Under quality-controlled conditions, the textured wood grain finishes use specially formulated powders, inks and films, which are combined with a refined heat-transfer dye sublimation process. This produces no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or other potentially harmful emissions and meet the stringent AAMA 2604 performance standard. The textured specialty fluoropolymer coating is factory-applied to meet the AAMA 2605 high performance standard. The VOCs associated with liquid-applied architectural coatings are safely captured and destroyed by the finishing company prior to shipping. Installed on site, the castle’s grand entrance is surrounded by simulated stonework.
The owners boast that Silver Stone Castle features “some of the most breathtaking and elaborate medieval themed décor.” Guiding its design, the entertainment destination introduces a modern fairytale of an ancient, kind-hearted dragon. After centuries of captivity, she is freed and takes human form to help build a new castle, where families can share happy, fun experiences together.
Housed within the castle walls, visitors will find a massive two-story go-kart race track, a large arcade and separate virtual reality room, indoor rock climbing, a heated indoor pool, and a full-service tavern. The facility offers a 170-person hall with a dance floor plus six smaller spaces to host celebrations, conferences and group quests.
