Originally built in 1963, the Reno City Hall is a high-rise steel-framed structure. It stands right in the heart of Downtown Reno and houses the Metro Gallery, which contains a collection of unique works by local and regional artists. The existing structure is composed of 16 stories of occupied space, a mechanical penthouse and a basement. Due to flexibility and significant lateral displacements during strong winds, Miyamoto was asked to evaluate the structural system. Our findings showed that the design lacked seismic resiliency, and this gave way to a voluntary upgrade.

The seismic retrofit design will add fluid viscous dampers to the existing structure’s steel moment resisting frames from floors seven to 16 at strategic locations to decrease floor-to-floor deflections and acceleration during seismic events. The use of dampers will also mitigate movement due to wind loading. This voluntary upgrade shows the City’s concerns with seismic events in the area and recognition of their potential harm to structures with poor seismic resiliency.