Overview
The project that won awards in earlier years could wind up with a lawsuit for unforeseen problems. The blue wall of Eisenhower High School as seen in the photo just fell prey to such a chaos. Despite the troubles, the blue wall would be preserved and repaired. This week let us explore the world of stainless steel through the case of Eisenhower High School, especially its blue wall, the 'apple of discord'.
Eisenhower High School
Eisenhower High School is a public school located at 40th Avenue and Tieton Drive, Yakima, Washington, DC, USA. Initially opened in 1957, the school takes on a new look after a full replacement that occurred over five decades later.
With the replacement project comes a modern campus of larger covering area from 220,000 to 327,000 square feet. Subsequently, it can accommodate growing enrollment from the previous 1300 to now 2070 students.
The Project Background of Eisenhower High School
The project started from a vote in 2009 when Yakima voters passed a bond to replace the old Eisenhower High School. Since its initial construction, only a small classroom was added in 1986 and nothing more. The absence of major improvements led to a series of issues as below listed,
• Infrastructure such as electrical power, ventilation, heating and cooling was approaching the tail end of its useful life.
• Teaching spaces were starting to run short. Meanwhile, the existing ones were outdated.
• School safety and communication systems including safety, security, technology support and telecommunications fell short.
Given the condition, a full replacement was planned. As part of a comprehensive district-wide plan which also included other public schools, the replacement was launched shortly after with a $4.8 million contract signed with KDA Architecture (or KDF Architecture before rebranding) for design and $78.7 million with Graham Construction and Management for construction. The design was completed in June 2011 and construction on 1 June 2013. The newly built modern campus cost $108+ million (Yakima Memes & More 2026), a bit over the budgeted $106.6 million (The Yakima School District 2026).
The Design of Eisenhower High School
When it comes to the design of Eisenhower High School, the blue wall is a well-deserved big thing, as expressed by KDA’s mantra of “MAKE THE BIG THING THE BIG THING”. The metaphor is three-fold.
Firstly, the blue wall is the centerpiece of this article, as it is where stainless steel is applied to Eisenhower High School. It constitutes the massive structure that splits the school in half, touching both the interior and exterior of the school.
Secondly, the blue wall takes the shape of the design inspiration, which is rooted in the local factors. The school is located in Yakima, an agricultural region characterized by massive hills, rugged basalt outcroppings, the orderly patterns of orchards and vineyards as well as the reflective movement of sun and water. The blue wall becomes the metaphor for the Yakima River, powerfully expressing “the profound importance of water to the vitality of the Yakima Valley” (KDA ARCHITECTURE 2026).
Thirdly, the blue wall is as iconic as it is infamous. It is a uniting element for the school to engage and inspire the students, families and the community while creating a memorable sense of place. Due to its iconic nature, it must be kept as a Blue Wall after all. When mold was found in some classrooms, a lawsuit was launched by the district over allegations of improper design and poor workmanship. The wall was made of stainless steel shingles and blue porcelain tiles, with a water-resistant barrier underneath. However, the water-resistant product was melting behind the tiles and leaking out through the shingles. This resulted in water leaking through the wall into the school’s interior. Although finally resolved, both in terms of lawsuit and the mold problem, the blue wall is no longer the same. Before repairs, the blue wall had four different colored tiles as shown in all the photos of this article, but new wall took one color for better longevity.
Stainless Steel Applied to Eisenhower High School
According to ISSF (2025), electrochemically colored stainless steel sheets were selected as the material and colors of the metal shingles to emulate the reflections of Yakima River, to which the town owes its name as well. To match the desired range of depth, the stainless steel supplier controlled variation in process times skillfully. The stainless steel shingles were combined into a random pattern for optimal visual experience.
Stainless Steel from CIVMATS China
Stainless steel sheets are of metallic color or silver color by nature. As in the case of the blue wall from Eisenhower High School, they can be electrochemically treated into blue color. Gold color, champagne color, or copper color are all available through customization for decoration purpose. BA, mirror, hairline, No.4 finishes are also popular choices at CIVAMTS.
If you are looking for stainless steel materials from China, welcome to CIVMATS. Whether for flat products stainless steel sheet plate coil strip, or long products stainless steel pipe tube bar wire & ropes, CIVMATS aspires to be your first choice. Choose CIVMATS, choose reliability.
