Bulley & Andrews

Bulley & Andrews, LLC Continues to Build History:  Illinois Holocaust Museum & Educational Center

Chicago, Ill. (April 20, 2009) – The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Educational Center opened its doors on April 19, 2009.  It is the largest center in the Midwest dedicated to preserving the memories of those lost in the Holocaust and teaching current generations about their role in combating intolerance and genocide in today’s world.  The 65,000 square foot facility, designed by architect Stanley Tigerman, will likely be the last Holocaust museum built in collaboration with survivors.

Bulley & Andrews, LLC was selected as the project’s general contractor and broke ground on the institution in June 2006.  The facility has three primary functions as a museum, memorial and educational center.  Throughout the duration of the project, Bulley & Andrews adapted to various changes based on the museum’s evolving design and operation for exhibits and function.

"The Bulley & Andrews’ team was professional, experienced and dedicated.  Perhaps most importantly, they were responsive and flexible to constantly changing project requirements and were able to lead us in achieving the finest end result," said Rick Strusiner, Co-Chair of the Museum’s Technical Committee.  

The building has a meaningful, three-part design with dark and light wings and a center cleave.  The dark wing on the south is an anodized metal clad building representing “the descent into darkness.”  Ducts, conduit and piping are exposed in this part of the museum to give it the look and feel of the concentration camps.  Passageways are narrow and sloped while walking through this portion of the museum.  The “hinge” between the two wings represents a book of remembrance, a special memorial to those who perished in the Holocaust. The light wing on the north, made of white anodized metal, allows visitors to ascend into the light.  In this wing, passageways get larger and the lighting level increases, representing the rescue and renewal of survivors of the Holocaust.  If viewed from above, the building was designed to be seen as a Torah scroll, with the center as the parchment between the two scrolls.

One of the biggest challenges of the project for general contractor, Bulley & Andrews, was the installation of the museum’s feature exhibit, an early twentieth century German rail car on suspended train tracks.  Rather than risking the integrity of the car and rolling it into place, it was instead shored and craned into place from the street, using a 70-ton crane.

“The rail car had to be installed right after the slab was poured and before any wall construction began,” said Patrick O’Bryan, Senior Project Manager at Bulley & Andrews, LLC. “The building was then built around it.”  With a successful result, it is now the powerful centerpiece of the new museum.

The unique design of the museum required 23 independent roofs.  Each room and stairwell to the museum had a separate roof, allowing for little repetitiveness and many hurdles during construction. 

“The job was in unique in the sense that there were dozens of independent schedules rather than one schedule to follow,” said O’Bryan.  “Each room of the museum was like a new project with a new set of challenges.”

With a goal to become LEED certified, the museum received inspiring news in 2006 when they were awarded a $100,000 grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation to help build an environmentally-friendly museum.  The facility is 25 to 30 percent more efficient than the standard building built according to current Illinois energy codes.   It contains green features such as radiant floor heating and a highly reflective roof.  The museum hopes to earn LEED Silver certification; results are expected in late 2009 or early 2010.

The museum will expand the minds of both young and old by teaching the history and universal lessons of the Holocaust.  By law, students in Illinois are required to learn about the Holocaust and other genocides.  As a result, the museum is expecting to host 250,000 students throughout Illinois and the Midwest each year.  

"A collaborative effort was ever present while working with the design and construction teams on this project,” said Richard S. Hirschhaut, Executive Director of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center.  “The hard work of all those involved has truly paid off as we have a museum and educational center that will inspire millions in the years to come."