CASE STUDY:
Virginia Tech – Moss Arts Center, Blacksburg, VA

Project Overview

12’ HIGH UNINTERRUPTED OPERABLE WALL SYSTEM

The Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech—designed by internationally renowned architecture firm Snøhetta—stands as a cultural gateway for creativity, interdisciplinary exchange, and artistic exploration. The Center’s architecture brings together performance, research, and community engagement in a building that values openness, clarity, and purposeful design.

To support this mission, the design team required a highly refined interior system that could deliver acoustic performance, spatial flexibility, and total architectural integration. PK30 System was selected to engineer and manufacture a series of custom operable walls, fixed panels, and swing doors that would uphold the Center’s emphasis on precision, innovation, and seamless user experience.

Challenge

Snøhetta’s design vision for the Moss Arts Center called for clean, uninterrupted elevations that could transform the space while maintaining the visual harmony of the surrounding architecture. The interior elements needed to be elegant yet robust—capable of withstanding public use while remaining true to the refined aesthetic of the building.

Central requirements included:

• A flexible operable wall system that could expand and contract without compromising structural integrity.
• 12-foot-tall glass assemblies that would maintain openness while providing acoustic separation.
• Custom-engineered door systems, including specialized hardware and panic bars that aligned with the project’s performance and safety needs.
• Seamless architectural integration with Snøhetta’s rigorous design language of precision, performance, and material clarity.

These demands required custom engineering, meticulous coordination, and a system highly adaptable to architectural nuance—an ideal match for The PK-30 Experience.

Solution

PK-30 provided a fully integrated system engineered to meet the functional, aesthetic, and performance goals of the project. The scope included:

• 1 bi-parting, four-panel operable wall system
  • 12 feet tall
  • Total span: 24 feet
• 7 fixed 12-foot-tall panels, each 3 feet wide
• 2 swing doors, 12 feet tall, fitted with a custom panic bar
• 2 bi-parting, two-panel operable wall systems
  • 12 feet tall
  • Total span per opening: 12 feet

Each element was engineered to maintain visual continuity and refined proportion while ensuring long-term durability. PK-30’s precision aluminum profiles and hardware created an unobtrusive framework, allowing the architecture—and the activities within—to remain the focal point.

Custom-engineered anchoring, hardware modifications, and alignment solutions ensured that all components operated smoothly at a 12-foot height—a scale that demands exacting tolerances. Collaboration with the design and construction teams allowed PK-30 to coordinate details meticulously, resulting in a system that functions effortlessly and elevates the user experience.

Results

The installation at the Moss Arts Center demonstrates how PK-30 systems deliver high-performance functionality with architectural clarity. The operable walls glide with precision, the fixed panels reinforce the building’s visual rhythm, and the custom swing doors provide secure accessibility without disrupting the design intent.

The PK-30 Experience—a standard of design partnership, engineering excellence, and seamless integration—is evident throughout the project. PK30’s ability to maintain strict tolerances at 12-foot heights, incorporate custom life-safety hardware, and achieve an elegant, minimalistic appearance allowed Snøhetta’s vision to be fully realized.

The result is a space that reflects the values of the Virginia Tech Center for the Arts: innovation, openness, and elevated performance.

 Conclusion — The PK-30 Experience

PK-30’s partnership with Snøhetta and the Virginia Tech design team exemplifies the company’s dedication to collaborative problem-solving, meticulous engineering, and architectural precision.

PK-30’s ability to assist the design team, customize our product, and deliver a solution that integrates seamlessly into the architecture contributed to the successful realization of this project. Our commitment to quality, reliability, and design integrity not only met but exceeded expectations—embodying the values of the Moss Arts Center and demonstrating the unmistakable standard of The PK30 Experience.