Grand Coulee Visitor Arrival Center Modifications, Coulee Dam, WA

​Originally constructed in 1975-1976, the Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Arrival Center was built from pre-cast tilt-up concrete panels and is a scale model of the generators found in the powerhouses at the Grand Coulee Dam. The seismic retrofit entailed placing circular cast-in-place concrete beams around the exterior base of the building and at the mid-level and ceiling of the interior. The existing hollow CMU walls were replaced with new solid-grouted CMU walls and the remaining hollow CMU walls were braced with angle iron. The architectural remodel utilized materials with modern performance properties and finishes consistent with architectural styles popular in the middle 1970’s. The majority of the interior finishes were replaced which included tile flooring, plastic laminate wall panels, “popcorn” style acoustical plaster ceilings and fiberglass acoustical wall panels. The remodel was consistent enough with the original design that the building looks unchanged to the casual observer.