Rip Ride Rocket

2009 Design Award Winner

Project Team

Structural Engineer: Bliss & Nyitray, Inc.
Owner: NBC Universal
Architect: BRPH Companies
General Contractor: PCL Construction Services, Inc.
Steel Joist Manufacturer: CMC Joist & Deck
Steel Detailer: Steel Fabricators, LLC
Steel Fabricator: Steel Fabricators, LLC
Steel Erector: Steel Fabricators, LLC

Project Type: Unique Application

Project Description

Rip Ride Rockit is a themed attraction realizing the owners need to cross market Universal Music’s brand with Universal Studios theme park entertainment. Constructed at Universal Studios Orlando in Florida, the project has two main components: a roller coaster with advanced sound, video, and lighting features; and an outdoor concert pavilion. The roller coaster facilities convey the energy, excitement, and attitude appropriate to the music industry, while the performance space evokes a nostalgic note with inspiration from the classic Hollywood Bowl amphitheater. A strict budget was the ultimate control on this project. Remaining in budget and working with the limited site required tight layout programming more evocative of ship design. Visual interest was derived from the direct expression of structure and building shape, not by covering the building with adjunct elaborate facades, show sets, and props.

What Makes This Project Interesting

The facilities on this project very strong architectural features that encourage an immediate emotional connection or response. The most prominent of these features are the roof lines. The Owner encouraged an open structure to emphasize tight site restrictions creating a sense of size and space.

Advantages Of The Chosen Structural System

The buildings have structural steel roof systems that utilize custom arched open-web joists. We were able to get the desired roof shapes, even applying custom rigging loads, while taking advantage of the cost savings afforded by the joist construction. This system allowed the contractor to bring the roof in on budget while maintaining the vision developed by the Owner’s creative design team.

Project Scope

The scope of this project was to provide two facilities, one housing all of the operations functions of a roller coaster attraction, the other enabling the production of large outdoor concerts in a permanent facility. While both the amphitheater and the load/unload building use the arching canopy to great effect, the load/unload building best showcases the application using it as the predominant architectural expression inside and outside. 

Project Details

Project Construction Cost: $18 Million
Joist cost, including fabrication and erection: $360,000
Size (square ft.): 22,476
Roof area using joists (square ft.): 13,000
Joist area (square ft.): 13,000
Joist engineering to delivery (# days): 30
Joist erection (# days): 30

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