KEPCO+ received the 2009 Pinnacle Award of Merit for Commercial Exteriors for its work on the Sun Valley Music Pavilion.  A striking blend of beauty and function, this state of the art facility was completed in July of 2008 and incorporates nearly 33,000 SF of travertine.  The goals for this inspiring venue included creating a world class outdoor concert facility offering superb acoustics, comfortable seating for 1,500 in its amphitheater, and a surrounding park allowing approximately 2,500 concert goers to sit and picnic while enjoying the same clarity as those inside the amphitheatre.  The structure itself needed to complement its rugged environment and create architectural excitement through a modern, sophisticated look that reflected the quality of the entertainment presented.  The original concept had to be fully developed into the design, drafted, and constructed all in a little over one year. 

Architectural interest and cohesiveness with the environment were accomplished through material selection and innovative design.  To blend with the mountainous environment, a split-faced finish was selected for the majority of the stonework, while an unfilled honed finish was used on the stone caps and ends of site walls.  The joints between the stones were left open to enhance the Pavilion's rugged aesthetics while also facilitating the escape of any moisture from behind the stone. 

The structure only incorporates one straight wall – the rest of the walls are radial, and each one has a different radius, presenting unique fabrication challenges.  To create the look of thick cubic stones at the corners and end walls without the cost of heavy, solid blocks, mitered corners were chosen.  The split-face mitered corners had to be double cut, or butterflied, from a single piece of stone and then joined with epoxy so that the finish and shading would match at the corners.  Since most walls were curved and the stone was visible on both sides of the curved walls as well as on the tops of the walls, the stones were modulated to create radial joints (through the wall) so that the stones would align properly. 

Through the hard work, commitment, and coordination of everyone involved, all 30 stone containers were installed in just 10 weeks