TAVERN'S RETRACTABLE ROOF KEEPS BOTH
BEER AND BAR LIGHT
Maloney's Pub
 Six to ten beers always
on tap -- dark, light, and in-between -- always seemed to keep the customers
happy at Jerry Rhodes' bar. But Rhodes had a crazy idea. Even his contractor
judged it "half a bubble off plumb". Then again, crazy is relative in a place
where football fans scream themselves hoarse in sub-zero weather wearing little
more than rubber replicas of cheddar cheese on their heads. Welcome to Green
Bay, Wisconsin.
"Jerry wanted us to build the state's first retractable
roof over a bar," remembers Steve Boyer of SJ Boyer Construction, Inc. "When I
stopped laughing and realized he wasn't kidding, I thought, 'well, why not?'
Milwaukee did it with their new ballfield just down Interstate 43." Whether the
Brewers' $47 million fold-away roof and movable walls at Miller Park provided
the inspiration remains debatable to this day; nevertheless, the timing was
perfect. Rhodes was already planning a million-dollar makeover of his popular
Maloney's Pub, right next to the old location.
The building itself
sports a brick and stone exterior to fit literally as well as thematically
between two existing structures, both of which are over a century old. Inside,
tile floors, Brazilian cherry wood, Corian® bar tops, and a wrought iron
railing around a second-floor mezzanine wrap both patrons and pool tables in an
old-world charm. What used to be a single bar is now five, spread out over two
stories; one of them, a former, outdoor beer garden, has become Maloney's
showpiece.
"Jerry's business has really boomed since we put in that
retractable roof," says Boyer. "Some people come in just to see it open or
close." More often than not, they stay for another round. During nice weather,
the wide open roof lets patrons bask under sky that twinkles with starlight
after dark. "And by day, it's light, breezy and a lot less smoky than a
traditional bar. You still have a sense of being outside in the old beer
garden, but a screen -- part of the retractable section -- keeps out bugs and
birds."
On the other hand, Green Bay's famous football stadium is
nicknamed "The Frozen Tundra" for good reason. "Winter in Green Bay teaches us
a healthy respect for windchill factors," says Boyer, grinning. "It's also been
known to rain a time or two." He watches Rhodes close the roof in a brisk
twenty seconds with just the flip of a switch. "That speed comes in handy
during a sudden cloudburst. But even when the roof's shut, there's still plenty
of light in here; using free-for-the-taking daylight saves money in lighting
costs, too." That's because the unique roof is a 40' by 50' skyroof by
Structures Unlimited, Inc.
Structures Unlimited is renowned for their
unique skylight systems capable of clearspans over 150'. Pre-engineered,
rigid-frame, aluminum box beam structures are blended with translucent,
insulated Kalwall® panels to form a total composite building system. The
result is an interesting architectural feature that bathes the interior with
balanced, glare-free, natural daylight. At the push of a button, a 16' by 33'
retractable section opens to the sky.
Maloney's features 2,000 square
feet of translucent Kalwall panels. The prefabricated Structures Unlimited
system was installed in just one week's time. The inherent characteristics of
the Structures Unlimited/Kalwall system include rapid, less costly
installation; single-source responsibility; leak-proof performance; and
superior structural integrity that withstands the high snow loads of Wisconsin
winters as easily as Florida hurricanes. The energy performance of the system
is unrivaled.
An integral component of any Structures Unlimited Skylight
system, Kalwall's translucent, diffuse-light properties deliver the best
quality of natural daylight. Even on cloudy days, the panels transmit even,
usable natural light. When skies are bright and sunny, the diffuse panels
eliminate harsh glare, hot spots and shadows often associated with traditional
glazing. Minute glass fibers within the surface of the panels act like prisms
to magnify and transform even the lowest levels of daylight into uniformly
balanced illumination. Lit from the inside at night, the skylights generate a
warm, inviting glow for passersby -- and potential patrons -- to enjoy.
Maloney's large, self-supporting skylight system was designed, engineered,
manufactured, delivered and installed with single-source responsibility by
Structures Unlimited, Inc.
The originator of translucent sandwich panel
technology, Kalwall Corporation of Manchester, New Hampshire, has developed and
manufactured the most highly insulating, diffuse-light-transmitting translucent
panel systems in the world for over 45 years. Lightweight and translucent, the
structural composite sandwich panel is formed by permanently bonding specially
formulated, fiberglass-reinforced translucent faces to a grid core constructed
of interlocked structural I-beams of aluminum or composite materials.
In
addition, the panel face has an innovative, weather-resistant composition that
gives Kalwall superior weatherability to stand up to any climate and the
grueling effects of the sun. Structures Unlimited's prefabricated and
preassembled skylight systems are also leakproof. "And in a Wisconsin winter,"
adds Boyer, "we measure snow in feet, not inches. With Structures Unlimited
skylights, we get all that controlled daylight and structural strength,
too."
Kalwall saves money in many ways. Because of their superior
insulating performance, the panels pay for themselves in energy, maintenance,
and installation cost savings. Kalwall is also rugged, shatterproof,
vandal-resistant, and maintenance-free, further lowering expenses over time by
reducing capital outlays for replacement. Each exterior surface features a
glass erosion barrier to prevent "fiber bloom", assuring like-new appearance
for years to come. Since Kalwall is self-cleaning, normal rainfall creates a
sheeting action to clean the surface.
Boyer was impressed. "Kalwall gave
us the look we were looking for. Jerry and his customers really enjoy looking
up and seeing the sky and stars at night. The project was complete in a timely
manner, the installers (Racine, Wisconsin's Nielsen Building Systems, Inc.)
were very accommodating and helpful throughout the installation period. Great
job, guys!"
Maloney's Pub
Green Bay, WI
Photo: Bob
Freund
Structures Unlimited, Inc. & Kalwall Specifications:
Light
Transmission: 20%
U-factor: .29 by NFRC
Shading Coefficient: .27
Panel
Color: Crystal and White
Trim Color: Bronze |
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