REHABILITATION OF THE EXISTING FARM SHOW COMPLEXMcCLAY & CAMERON STREETS, HARRISBURG PA

Harrisburg, PaHistoric RestorationWinter 2011Pennsylvania Department of General Services9.9 MillionRenovation of existing entrances, lobbies, conference rooms, exhibit halls, door and window replacement, new audio visual system,and toilet rooms.

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The Pennsylvania Farm Show is an extensive Agricultural Exhibition Complex comprised of connected exhibit halls, arenas and meeting rooms. The fi rst hall was completed in 1931 and was followed by numerous expansion programs.

Today the facility has over twenty-one acres under roof, and it is the largest Agricultural Exhibition Complex in the United States. The goal of this renovation was to bring the older portions of the complex up to a standard close to that of the last expansion completed in 2001. Improvements include renovated lobbies, conference rooms, repainting the exhibit halls, a new connecting stair, a new elevator, restroom renovations, new wayfi nding signage, and a new zoned sound system.

The project focused on the McClay Street Lobby and Conference Rooms above it but there is additional work throughout the complex in selected locations. The McClay Street Lobby was originally the main entrance to the Farm Show, but since the 2001 construction of the Cameron Street Lobby, had become secondary. Our project brings life back to this entrance using the Art Deco Ornament gracing the exterior of the orginal Main Hall and Large Arena as an inspiration.

Original Farm Show Hall, built 1931

Large Arena, built 1937

North Hall, built during World War II to connect original Hall to the Large Arena

Additional Halls built between 1950-1970

The Most recent expansion, completed in 2001

THE HISTORY OF THE FARM SHOW COMPLEX1931-PRESENT

1929 State Legislature authorizes the design and construction of a new facility to house the yearly State Farm Show, in the teeth of the Great Depression. The highly popular Art Deco Style was selected for the design style. The Farm Show was built and it opened for the Farm Show on Jan. 19, 1931.

In 1937, Legislature authorized the design and construction of an expansion of the Farm Show with a new 7000 Seat Arena, now called the Large Arena, continuing with the design in Art Deco style.

During World War II the Farm Show was used to train civilian personnel in the repair and assembly of airplane motors. During this time, the Army Air Corps Built North Hall which connected Main Hall to the Large Arena.

Between 1950 and 1970 additional halls were constructed to meet the growing needs of the complex.

In 2001 the Farm Show Complex increased the it’s size with a 40% expansion, which included the Cameron Street Lobby, Exposition Hall, the Equine Arena, the Equine Barn, and the Connector Link. It also included a modern AV System, and internet technology. The entire Farm Show Complex is now one million square feet under roof.

BRINGING THE ART DECO STYLE INSIDE THE DESIGN INTENT

One of the great strengths of the historic Farm Show Structure is the wonderful art deco ornament on its exterior. Our design concept was to use this art deco style as a thematic element both to create visual interest in the interior, and to create an identity for the Farm Show, that would make it memorable and a thematic destination. The Art Deco theme is refl ected in the Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete Frames around the major entry points, in the Signage and Graphics, and in the decorative railings at the new Grand Stairway.

USING THE ART DECO STYLE AS A THEME MACLAY STREET LOBBY

The Maclay Street Lobby is transformed with the addition of Art Deco Themed Elements:

Art Deco doubly articulated frames around major entry points and exhibit casesArt Deco inspired color palette, deep rich colors, strong contrasts.New lighting grid and bulkheads beneath structural beams establish a visual plane that masks the existing exposed piping above. Exposed structure and piping painted out grey.The historic exhibit halls are given a new identity branded as “Heritage Halls”.A new connecting grand stairway with art deco custom railings and an art deco GFRC frame draws people up to the renovated meeting rooms

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USING THE ART DECO STYLE AS A THEMEMACLAY STREET LOBBY

More features of the Maclay Street LobbyThe existing concrete fl oor is cleaned and a clear resinous sealant is appled..The transoms over the entry doors which had been closed off with plywood were reglazed. The transoms over the doors into the Main Hall which also had been closed off with plywood were reglazed..Decorative sconces reiterating the historic theme were added.

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The Art Deco Ornament on the exterior of the historic portions of the Farm Show Complex is a treasure. On Main Hall, the fi rst building constructed, we have a whimsical parade of animals processing toward the Pennsylvania State Coat of Arms.

On the Large Arena, we have a tableaux celebrating the Pennsylvania Dutch Heritage on the north and south facades and another tableaux depicting the history of Pennsylvania Agriculture on the East Facade which faces Cameron Street. This tableaux is a timeline going left to right. On the left you see William Penn and the Indians, to the right are the colonists and Pennsylvania Dutch, a wonderful turkey with the art deco sunburst pattern occupies the center while on the right side we see the industrialization of agriculture with the far right showing the wise men of the modern agricultural leaders addressing the youth of the day.

ART DECO ORNAMENT AT THE PENNSYLVANIA FARM SHOWAN INSPIRATION FOR THE RENOVATION DESIGN

The Maclay Street Facade the Parade of Animals

The History of Pennsylvania Agriculture

The Pennsylvania Dutch Tableaux on the North and South Facades of the Large Arena

ART DECO INSPIRED SIGNAGE AND WAYFINDINGLOCATED THROUGHOUT THE COMPLEX

The Art Deco Theme is continued in the wayfi nding sign system. Prior to our renovation there was a real problem with orientation and fi nding your way. We used art deco style graphic images and colors in the sign system. You are here maps are placed at entry points and decision points throughout the complex. The way fi nding works on three levels: (1) Color, the exposition halls are color coded with a accent color up to wainscot height and on the columns. The hall identifi cation signs have matching colors; (2) Name, each hall has a prominent room identifi cation sign centrally placed; and (3) Image, each exhibition hall has an animal on its identifi cation sign.

I’m in the red hallI’m in the East HallI’m by the Horse

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In order to create a memorable sense of place and to have the Farm Show have a brand identity we named the major destinations and entries an incorporated this name into colorful glass fi ber reinforced frames. The named areas:

MaClay Street Lobby;The Keystone Conference Center;The Heritage HallsThe Farm Show CrossroadsThe North Hall Lobby

The arched frame at the Grand Stair that leads to the Keystone Conference Center.

Other frame locations:

At the new elevator leading to the Keystone Conference CenterAt the seating alcoves and display cases in the Maclay Street LobbyAlong the corridor in the Keystone Conference CenterAt the snack bar in the North Hall Lobby

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GFRC FRAMES REINFORCE THE ART DECO THEMEMACLAY STREET LOBBY, KEYSTONE CONFERENCE CENTER, AND NORTH HALL LOBBY

THE NEW GRAND STAIRKEYSTONE CONFERENCE CENTER

The tired underutilized meeting rooms on the second fl oor were transformed into the Keystone Conference Center. New lighting, ceilings, carpet , and AV system. A new grand stair invites people from the Maclay Street Lobby up to the Conference center. The art deco animal images and the sunburst decorative painting create a festive inviting atmoshpere. The decorative GFRC arch and the railings with the sunburst pattern further reinforce this theme.

The Keystone Conference Center Center has been very popular. A number of people have used it for wedding receptions with the departure down the Grand Stair as the crowning event.

THE KEYSTONE CONFERENCE CENTERABOVE THE MACLAY STREET LOBBY

THE LARGE ARENASEAT RESTORATION AND NEW SOUND SYSTEM

Improvements to the large arena include: The existing wood seats were removed and refurbished with new wood slats and repainted. Broken seat frames were repaired or replaced. The historic color coding was restored.An entirely new sound system was installed complete with four input locations on the arena fl oor where a portable sound board can be placed so that shows can be run from multiple locations.Roof repair;Repainting; Electrical upgrades at the food booths.

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THE FARM SHOW CROSSROADS CONFERENCE ROOMA RESTORED MEETING ROOM AT THE HEART OF THE FARM SHOW

The Farm Show Crossroads is another named destination that we developed as part of our branding strategy. This connector between the North Hall and Main Hall is literally at the heart of the Complex, truly a crossroads. On the second fl oor a former meeting room was being used as a sign shop, the clerestory windows hidden by a dropped ceiling. We restored the clerestory windows and provided a beautiful new meeting room with a state of the art AV system, internet and phone connections.

When we restored the clerestories, it was amazing what a beautiful space was revealed.

IThe North Hall Lobby is one of the major entries to the facility. Prior to our renovation it was poorly marked and somewhat obsured by a new chiller building. We replaced the entry doors and added an exterior sigh to increase the visibility. Art deco style panels on the Chiller Building help lead visitors to this entry and give a preview of the wonders inside.

NORTH HALL LOBBYANOTHER MAJOR ENTRY POINT TO THE HERITAGE HALLS ZONE