MILWAUKEE— The Milwaukee Public Museum is set to undergo a major transformation with the construction of a brand new facility, promising an immersive and modernized experience for visitors. The new museum will be located at West McKinley Avenue and North Sixth Street. The production has already begun downtown, but the developers of the project are still taking care of the exterior complex walls.
Founded in 1882, the Milwaukee Public Museum has been a huge landmark for over a century. As the museum prepares to move into a brand new, state-of-the-art-facility, two local companies are playing a crucial role in bringing the vision to life. Stonecast Products Inc., a Germantown-based manufacturer specializing in architectural precast concrete, is behind the creation of the massive panels that will define the museum’s distinctive new exterior. With the partnership of Element30 Inc., the drafting and engineering have been at a rapid pace to get the panels and production line going.
Stonecast’s Director of Production and Engineering Chris Zajac expressed full excitement about the new project and hints at the plans moving forward with Element30 Inc.
“Right now we’re about 30% produced,” Zajac says.
”We have plans to be finished with production by mid June, which directly aligns with when we are supposed to show up on site and start erecting these panels for the for the building. We are in constant contact with the design team ensuring that we have all of our submittals, and that is the actual museum design team. Here at Stonecast, we’re in daily meetings, if not hourly meetings, with our detailing team, element 30, ensuring that we have all the panels, we have the production schedule going. Everything is a seamless contact at that point.”
Inside the factory of Stonecast Products Inc., workers are excited and hard at work crafting the massive concrete panels that will form the striking exterior and eventual interior of the new Milwaukee Public Museum. Each panel, some reaching heights of 35 feet and weighing over 50,000 pounds requires expert hands and precision.
The process is no simple task– workers carefully mold the concrete to replicate the natural textures and contours found in Wisconsin’s unique geological and architectural formation, ensuring that the museum’s exterior is as intricate and unique as the designs drawn up by architects.
From mixing the specialized concrete to molding the panels and reinforcing them with steel, the craftsmanship involved is both an art and a science. Each piece is made to meet strict durability standards, ensuring that they not only stand the test of time, but also create an aesthetically stunning view. The workers in the factory take immerse pride in their role, knowing that their efforts will leave a lasting legacy on one of Milwaukee’s most iconic landmarks.
Stonecast’s Business Development Manager Mike Wilhelm elaborates on the challenges of such a unique design.
“Early on, you know, from infancy, it was really how we’re gonna make them,” Wilhelm says.
“The material used isn’t a normal precast process in terms of day to day precast operations. So the vetting on the mold provider and how we are going to CNC cut them, we did an extensive amount of R and D. I was heavily involved with that on the front end of it. So the company that we work with is actually out of Minnesota, Outshaped, and do a very good job. But the coating company here is volatile free and they are from Brookfield. So we had them out here early on and we kind of went through that R and D process of what coatings would be applicable for this individual project. That was one of the larger complications. The other ones were in fact, the approval process is getting the pieces from the architect that are approved in time for us to fabricate. Some of the other challenges were the overwhelming size and shape of some of these. So you saw in the plant how you had a large radius, in essence skateboard ramp. How, in fact we were gonna make that. We said we had a custom frame built for it that attached to our table. So all that had to get figured out how we’re in fact, gonna pour these pieces how in fact, we’re gonna strip them and handle them and finish them. So that all added to the complexity to it.”
As the concrete panels continue to take shape inside Stonecast Products Inc., the dedication and craftsmanship of the workers are helping bring the new Milwaukee Public Museum one step closer to reality. With every piece meticulously crafted and every detail carefully considered, the museum’s exterior will stand as a testament to both Wisconsin’s rich natural history and skill of local artisans. As construction progresses, the museum’s bold new design promises to offer visitors an awe-inspiring experience from the moment they approach its door–blending innovation, artistry, and community pride in a space that will be celebrated for generations to come.
