National Award - Less than $15 million

Hinterland has blended exposed structural steel into the design seamlessly to provide a warm, welcoming atmosphere. --2020 IDEAS² Judge Christine Freisinger

Whether or not you're a Green Bay Packers fan, you can't deny that the new Hinterland Brewery has a primo location.

It also has a primo structural steel design. Inspired by the industrial architecture of the Great Lakes region, the restaurant and functioning brewery is the cornerstone of a mixed-use development within a stadium entertainment district--and it sits right across the street from the Packers' storied stadium, Lambeau Field. The simple palette of materials--steel, brick, and glass--was selected to express careful workmanship and highlight the detailed process of the building's construction. Like the quality grains, hops, and water used in the brewing process, these fundamental building materials were the ingredients used to shape the experience throughout--and steel was the predominant material used to achieve these design goals.

The building is organized by a spine of structural steel frames that serve as both the primary lateral and gravity systems. The roof elements are structural steel bents fabricated from complete joint penetration (CJP) welded wide-flange sections. The framing evokes early twentieth-century factories and brings a unique form to the rooftop, giving the structure its distinctive shape and filling the interior with daylight.

The roof is a standing-seam steel roof system, with steel members and purlins dominating the expression of the interior spaces. The exposed steel aesthetic extends throughout the interior detailing of various areas, such as a mezzanine that overlooks and surrounds the brewing equipment, to express both strength and artistry. The pigmented lacquer that protects the interior steel permanently captures the industrial feel and preserves the grease pencil markings placed on the steel at the time of fabrication. Two sculptural stairways escort patrons between floors of the restaurant space, with steel plate guardrails serving as stringers to provide both support and enclosure for the stairs; wood treads complement the steel. In addition, much of the building's exterior is clad in a raw weathering steel rain screen.

This new home for a brewery that started more than twenty years ago--and whose previous location was a few miles away in the city’s Broadway District--has allowed Hinterland to improve its quality and increase its capacity. Business has grown exponentially since the brewery moved into its new home, with much of the credit for that success going to its design and exposed steel aesthetic. And its proximity to one of the shrines of the NFL doesn't hurt.

Steel fabricator, detailer, erector, and general contractor: Schuh Construction, Inc., Seymour, Wis.  *AISC Member*
Architect: ROSSETTI, Detroit
Structural engineer: SDI Structures, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Project ownership: Hinterland, Green Bay, Wis.