Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza – Elevator Cab Renovation Identity Architects Acrovyn® Wall Panels and Handrail Completed in early 2007, the Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza is a 31-story, mixed-use building, incorporating over 500,000 square feet of retail, surgery and professional office space plus a parking garage. The facility also serves as host to The Ironman Sports Medicine Institute, the Breast Center and the Imaging Center. Designed with smooth traffic circulation in mind, the building is conveniently located in close proximity to Houston’s METRO light rail line and is connected via sky bridges to two adjacent office buildings. Design Goals The architects allowed the concept of efficient visitor access to guide the design process, incorporating detailed planning features that facilitate easy transitions from personal or medical vehicles into the facility. The nature of an emergency setting requires a surrounding built environment that reduces traffic congestion while achieving good aesthetics, stressing a need for good design from the parking lot to the elevator. Memorial Hermann’s original elevator design, a composition of off-white panels with a simple rail feature, lacked the elegance necessary to convey a high-end patient experience; a design goal the facility was aiming to achieve. In 2013, Construction Specialties (C/S) was consulted to provide an aesthetic rework of the elevator that was not only beautiful, but would exceed the industry’s durability standards as well. At a Glance: Acrovyn Wall Protection This renovation project achieved the aesthetically pleasing design the facility desired for its elevator cab. Specified in a beautiful, simulated woodgrain pattern, the high impact Acrovyn wall panels provide durability and resiliency in addition to an updated interior. Before Results Acrovyn Chameleon beveled-edge wall panels in Shaker Cherry were chosen to provide the warmth of rich wood. The panels are covered with .040” Acrovyn, ensuring high impact wall protection for years to come. For the handrail, C/S provided a combination of real wood material and seamlessly integrated stainless steel end caps, resulting in a refined, updated interior. The inside of the elevator cab emulates the luxuriance of the building’s interior design, blending brilliant visuals with high quality materials to provide a transit space that is both highly resilient and aesthetically pleasing.