Century Theatres at the Commons

Location: Federal Way

Owner/developer: Cinemark

Project team: S.D. Deacon Corp. of Washington, general contractor; Bray Bros. USA, concrete contractor; Russell + Davis Architects, architect; ZFA Structural Engineers, structural engineer; Glacier Northwest, ready-mix supplier

The 16-screen Century Theatres was nestled into a space between two anchor tenants at the Commons mall. It is 70,000 square feet with nearly 12-inch-thick precast exterior walls. It stands 4.5 stories tall and rises to seven stories in its lobby.

Most of the project’s tilt-up concrete wall panels were placed at night and early morning to avoid conflict with mall operations. Using tilt-up panels allowed construction crews to quickly and safely build the theater.

The project was built with 73 exterior wall panels weighing between 48,000 and 121,000 pounds. They include a network of reveals that mimic features found inside the theater.

The building’s roof is covered in 6 inches of concrete to deaden the sound of airplanes landing and taking off at nearby Sea-Tac Airport. To support the roof deck, crews installed massive columns, wide flange beams and deep roof joists.

The project’s superintendent used a computer program to sequence the bracing and knock-outs when the panels were moved and placed. A wooden mock-up of the theater was created in the job trailer so that various construction scenarios could be tested.

Using tilt-up concrete allowed the project to be built during the rainy season without delays. It also allowed crews to leave one large panel out so that the interior steel frame and interior mezzanine could be built in the restricted space.