Kansas City International Airport | Parking Structure

A completely new air terminal for Kansas City has replaced two outmoded structures built in 1972, including a new seven-story parking structure. Over 2 million square feet in size, the building provides parking for 6,219 vehicles. Bendheim joined this effort from the design stage to create custom-engineered fastening systems for the parking facility’s ventilated façade. The “shingled” design of the façade creates pockets of air that slide between the glass panels, creating airflow in and out of the garage.

Bendheim ultimately provided over 50,000 square feet of tempered and laminated glass for the project, with most of the glass panels as large as 6’ x 14’ and each weighing 800+ pounds. The sheer size and weight of the panels called for a carefully designed attachment system. Bendheim and Längle designed and manufactured a custom vertical compression clip system for the rainscreen project, allowing a costly steel substructure to be eliminated from the design. The 14” long clips support the length and weight of each panel while accommodating construction tolerances, live load movement, wind loads, and expansion joints.