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• Building Project

Building Project

The Grohmann Museum at Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) is home to the world's most comprehensive art collection dedicated to the evolution of human work, The Eckhart G. Grohmann Collection "Man at Work" and MSOE General Studies faculty offices.

The museum's steel and glass-domed entrance welcomes visitors to three floors of gallery space where a core collection is displayed as well as special themed exhibitions culled from the collection. The museum also has a spectacular rooftop sculpture garden, auditorium, docent library, store and vending café. 

Building renovation during summer 2007.

One of the design challenges of the renovation project was to take advantage of the building's relatively small windows, which is ideal for displaying delicate artwork, while adding an element that would be inviting and intriguing to the public. In its last incarnation as a Federal Reserve Bank and not open to the public, the building's entries were secure and anonymous. Uihlein-Wilson architects replaced the corner of the building at Broadway and State with a glass cylindrical atrium that serves as a welcoming entrance and stairway, topped by an open metalwork dome.

Building history
The renovated, three-story, 38,000-square-foot concrete structure was built in 1924 as an automobile dealership that for many years was called Metropolitan Cadillac, owned by Glenn Humphrey. In more recent times, the Federal Reserve Bank occupied the building until it ceased operation there in 2004.

Privately funded
The museum is named in honor of Dr. Eckhart Grohmann, an MSOE Regent, Milwaukee businessman and avid art collector, who donated this collection to MSOE in 2001 and subsequently the funds to purchase, renovate and operate the museum that bears his name. Dr. Grohmann and his wife, Ischi, are longtime supporters of scholarships for MSOE students and donated funds to purchase the property for the Kern Center, MSOE's health and wellness facility.

Project team
Architect: Uihlein-Wilson Architects, Milwaukee
Construction: The Bentley Company, Milwaukee

Facility details

• Three floors, plus lower level
• Total space: 38,000 square feet
• Exhibition space: 15,120 square feet
• Height from lobby floor to dome top: 82 feet
• Lower level: vending café, workshop, classroom
• First floor: docent library, store, galleries, auditorium
• Second floor: galleries, eight faculty offices, one classroom
• Third floor: changing exhibition galleries, eight faculty offices, one classroom
• Rooftop: sculpture garden

 
Timeline

2001                             Art collection donated to MSOE

2005                             MSOE purchased building with donated funds

September 2006            Demolition/Renovation began

October 27, 2007           Public Grand Opening

 

Grand Opening

View these clips to watch the intense work done at the Grohmann Museum in the weeks leading up to its grand opening, and re-live the excitement and splendor of the grand opening event in October 2007.