Transit Centre Showcases Zinc Cladding to Create Distinctive, Durable Design

Creating a welcoming, accessible and enduring facility for the City of Edmonton's riders, the new Belvedere Transit Centre features RHEINZINK prePATINA graphite-gray material on both the roof and exterior wall cladding systems.

On an average weekday, nearly 400,000 people use the Edmonton Transit Service's public buses and light rail transit (LRT). "Transit centers are a critical part of the fabric that connects Edmontonians to their city and to each other," said Eddie Robar, branch manager of Edmonton Transit Service.

Encouraging more riders through the Belvedere Transit Centre, DIALOG designed a safe, comfortable place for people to wait for their buses, and to transfer to and from the neighboring LRT station. Taking a cue from the LRT station's roofline, the improved transit center features stair-stepped heights on the 3,660-square-foot building's zinc roof. The interior's exposed wood beam ceiling structure also presents a similarity to the nearby LRT building and promotes a sense of welcoming warmth.

RHEINZINK's regional sales manager Richard Strickland agreed and added, "The longevity, sustainability, low maintenance and distinctive look of zinc made RHEINZINK the material of choice for Belvedere's roofing and wall cladding systems. With an eye on the City's budget, the project team invested upfront on the building's design and materials to save on decades of maintenance, cleaning and replacement costs. Ultimately, this design will save taxpayers money by more than doubling the roofing and cladding lifespan from what had been used on the previous station."

Belvedere Transit Centre, courtesy of RHEINZINK and DIALOG

With a lifespan of more than 80 years, zinc's ability to create a protective patina through weathering contribute to RHEINZINK's self-healing, low-maintenance, corrosion-resistant performance. At the end of its useful life on the building's exterior, it remains 100 percent recyclable.

Strickland continued, "This natural, dependable metal combines time-tested performance with a timeless appearance that's been recognized in Europe since the 1800s. The zinc material provides an attractive, evolving patina as it ages through the decades."

RHEINZINK prePATINA products are specially processed to achieve the natural, pre-weathered patina during production. Along with prePATINA graphite-gray, RHEINZINK offers roofing and wall cladding products in prePATINA blue-gray, CLASSIC bright rolled and artCOLOR in an array of colors. All of RHEINZINK's products rely on high-grade zinc with trace elements of titanium and copper. RHEINZINK products meet the ASTM standard specification B69-16 Architectural Rolled Zinc Type 1 and Type 2.

Meeting the specified requirements and design goals for Belvedere Transit Centre, Agway Metals supplied RHEINZINK prePATINA 0.8mm architectural grade zinc to Flynn Canada for fabrication and installation. Drawing from more than 15 years of experience working with RHEINZINK architectural grade zinc materials, Flynn's team roll-formed the standing seam roofing and the wall cladding systems.

Belvedere Transit Centre, courtesy of RHEINZINK and DIALOG

Flynn Canada also shop-fabricated and field-installed the concealed gutter system as an integrated, adjoining component of the zinc roof and wall systems. Flynn's project manager Kerri Zacharias explained that buffed, galvanized flat stock was used with a two-component liquid membrane for waterproofing.

The resulting, capped gutters have no exposed fasteners and are essentially invisible to casual visitors. "The roof's snow guards help protect pedestrians and the building itself from sliding snow and ice, and direct the melting snow and ice to the gutters," said Strickland.

He elaborated, "S-5! ColorGard snow retention was chosen for compatibility with our RHEINZINK standing seam roof. Its ability to 'clamp' to the seams without puncturing the metal maintains the roof's concealed fastener approach for a long-term solution. S-5! also backs up its product with engineering to reduce the risks associated with sliding snow and ice. Regardless of the season, the gutters manage rainwater and deflect debris. Their reliable functionality further reduces the need for maintenance and associated labor."

The previous Belvedere transit facility remained in service for 35 years before being replaced in October 2019. The new Belvedere Transit Centre provides multiple entry points and full-height glazing, which allows for transparency, daylight and views, making it easier, safer and more comfortable for commuters to watch for their buses. Other amenities and services include heated and unheated public waiting areas, a security office, operator washrooms, service rooms and an information kiosk.

Belvedere Transit Centre, courtesy of RHEINZINK and DIALOG

The Belvedere Transit Centre is one of 21 transit centers, 17 LRT stations and two LRT tunnels the City of Edmonton is upgrading with $15,305,877 in funding from the Government of Alberta's Green Transit Incentives Program (GreenTRIP) and $30,611,774 from the federal Public Transit Infrastructure Fund. In addition to GreenTRIP funding, the province is supporting a number of City of Edmonton transit projects through the Municipal Sustainability Initiative, including the Belvedere Transit Centre.

"The Government of Alberta is pleased to support Edmonton's public transit center development," said Ric McIver, Alberta Minister of Transportation. "This investment will help improve local public transit services to better connect Edmonton residents to jobs, school and services."