Strike up the bands

Located on a reclaimed sand and gravel quarry, the Maple Grove, Minn., Town Green Bandshell and Pavilion opened in June 2010 as part of a civic campus that includes Maple Grove's Community Center, Government Center and a Hennepin County Branch Library. As the centerpiece of the landscaped Town Green, the Bandshell is a venue for live music, dance and theater performances that are programmed by the Maple Grove Parks and Recreation Department.

The Bandshell was constructed using cast-in-place concrete. It features a 105-foot-wide cantilevered, white concrete canopy supported by six narrow concrete columns and sand colored walls. Elliptical holes in the canopy slab and an etched-glass back curtain wall create a light appearance for the structure. The Bandshell's amphitheater-style bowl seats 300, and three nearby pavilions include space for concessions, restrooms and meetings.

Maple Grove saved for more than 10 years to build the $6 million project. The project team included Minneapolis-based HGA Architects and Engineers; St. Louis Park, Minn.-based RJM Construction; Rockville, Md.-based Aggregate Industries; Burnsville, Minn.-based Northland Concrete and Masonry; and Minneapolis-based landscape architect Damon Farber Associates. The facility received two awards in the 2010 Building Excellence Awards program, sponsored by the Aggregate & Ready Mix Association of Minnesota, and an Architectural Merit award in the 2010 Minnesota Concrete Council Awards program.