Dreamlike, award-winning design fosters creativity & learning with ATAS metal roof & wall panels

The shape of La Nube STEAM Discover Center is inspired by the limitless possibilities of the sky and clouds.

La Nube STEAM Discovery Center is both a forward-thinking structure and concept, revolutionizing the potential for civic engagement, education and entertainment through unlimited ingenuity and creativity by uniquely emphasizing both STEM and the Arts. The decision to create a hybrid center resulted in a place where everyone, no matter their background, can explore the wonders of both fields with uninhabited curiosity. La Nube stands proudly in the core of El Paso, Texas, symbolic of the city’s diversity, originality and inclusive efforts to bring people together in a joyous place. Such an ambitious and culturally significant project necessitated an equally original and inventive architectural design. Encompassing the playful, family appeal and the project’s mission to make the exploration and education of ideas and creativity accessible to all of El Paso, La Nube’s structure emulates its namesake — The Cloud — using metal wall and roof panels to construct a place where children and families can dream.

The shape of La Nube is inspired by the limitless possibilities of the sky and clouds. The sky symbolizes a non-existent ceiling, to keep reaching and dreaming. Clouds represent ideas, able to be in any shape, constantly changing and as limitless as the sky they float along. The building’s silhouette takes on a cloudlike shape, the top of the building curving like the bubbles of cloud drawings and then sloping into a triangle. Accents on the building like the triangle side of the roof, square, chimney like extrusion and circular and oval windows along the walls, blends the artistry of shapes with the geometric likes of STEM.

The architect of the project, Snøhetta, says of the project on their website, “The building’s unique geometries immediately set it apart in the city’s skyline: the rectilinear base is wrapped in glass, providing interior views to entice passersby to stop inside the public lobby, and is topped by a rippling succession of barrel vaults which soar to a cloud-like crown.”

The roof of La Nube dons ATAS’ 1-1/2” Field-Lok panels in 24-gauge steel in Titanium. Field-Lok offers striations with the traditional appearance of standing seam, which La Nube has. Plank ribs are standard, but they can also be curved with or without plank ribs with curved trims available. The panel is tightly fitted to the edge of the roof and curved on La Nube, outlining the roof in a shade that shimmers a futuristic, galactic silver, as La Nube seeks to foster the minds of the future in its mission.

Cladding La Nube are ATAS’ Versa-Seam panels in .040 aluminum in Ascot White, Bone White and a custom color white. Versa-Seam modular wall panels are offered in various widths and lengths to create a unique appearance. The standard color offerings from the 40+ color options, in addition to custom color capabilities, paint the cloud-like façade of the building in an alternative, staggering pattern in the vertical application. Cut along the bottom of the façade and in addition to its geometric window details, are floor to ceiling windows, vibrantly lit with nebula colors of the interactive exhibits inside the building that are suitable for all ages. From the right angle, the transparency of the windows and color choices of the cladding create the illusion of La Nube as an actual cloud floating in the heart of El Paso. Nestled in between the Versa-Seam panels are tiny lights that twinkle against the panels and night sky that mimic the appearance of stars. Such attentive details are ingenious design feats, keeping the heart of what La Nube represents and offers to the community alive: innovative and creative thinking to build a beautiful, better world.

With his involvement in this project, Steve Minunni, director of modular wall systems with ATAS, said, “It was rewarding to help the design team achieve what they envisioned on the initial renderings for the La Nube project. With ATAS’ wide selection of modular wall panel and roof systems, it allowed the designers a multitude of profiles and colors to choose from, while receiving support from a single source supplier.”

La Nube celebrated its first anniversary of being open to the public on August 9, 2025, hosting a birthday celebration and reaffirming its commitments to what its design represents, as their website says their aim is to “spark curiosity and inspire imagination in learners of all ages and abilities. La Nube is a space where imagination takes shape.“

And it has done just that through its civic duty to El Paso and in its bold, imaginative design. La Nube’s architecturally fostered youthful whimsy that provides space for children and families to explore, discover and dream has won several awards this year. La Nube STEAM Discovery Center won First Place in the Commercial Wall category and Third Place in the Commercial Roofs category of ATAS’ 2024 Project of the Year Awards for accomplishing its stunning architectural and civic vision. The contributors to accomplishing this vision in addition to Snøhetta Architects are the installer, Commercial Roofing Systems and distributor, ABC Supply Company. La Nube also won the Metal Roofing Category of Metal Architecture’s 2025 Design Awards for its imaginative, ambitious use of metal. The structure stands as model for how metal panels can contribute innovatively and creatively to architectural designs, helping foster dynamic visions and bring dreams to life.

Learn more about 1 ½” Field-Lok and Versa-Seam panels.

Read about La Nube on Snøhetta Architect’s website.

Visit La Nube.

Photos taken by Brian Wancho.

About ATAS International, Inc.

Founded in 1963, ATAS International, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of metal roofing, wall cladding, ceilings, perimeter edge metal and accessories. The ATAS portfolio features an expansive selection of products available in aluminum, steel, zinc, stainless steel and copper. Standard profiles include narrow and wide ribbed wall panels, corrugated styles, architectural plate systems, standing seam and batten seam roof systems, metal shingles, shakes, tiles and more. Additional options include curved, tapered and perforated panels; concealed or exposed fasteners; smooth or embossed textures; horizontal and vertical applications; and a choice of over 40 stock colors with 70% PVDF finish.

With sustainability at the forefront of modern building design, ATAS proudly supports green building objectives with high performance solutions, such as solar-ready roof panels, insulated metal panels, cool roofing products and solar air heating wall panels. The ATAS team consists of product and market specialists that provide a high level of support for your project, from initial discovery and design to installation. ATAS has two ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturing locations in the United States: the headquarters in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and their facility in Mesa, Arizona. ATAS also has a second location in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and one in University Park, Illinois. On April 1, 2025, ATAS expanded its portfolio with Metalwërks® Architectural Plate Systems, located in Elkton, Maryland. For more information about ATAS International, please visit www.atas.com or call 610.395.8445.