Holocaust Museum Conservation & Collection Center

Project description

U. S. Holocaust Museum Conservation & Collection Center

The United States Holocaust Museum Conservation & Collection Center was in need of a facility to store and maintain priceless documents and artifacts associated with the Holocaust. These documents are irreplaceable. They cannot be damaged or destroyed. They must be stored in a place that is both safe and secure.

PCC Construction worked in a design-assist and construction role with the architectural, engineering and planning firm of Smith Group JJR and the general contractor, DPR Construction. PCC constructed the entire building façade – which included curtain wall, skylights, and ultra-high performance concrete cladding. In addition, the design of the facility included an intricate geometry of the main façade to create an illusion of depth. This façade was extremely challenging to build as it used over 1000 dimensionally varied panels to accurately model the design. The product used to create the façade was also custom designed and fabricated for this project. Quality control was an important factor in the success of this project. PCC Construction Components was instrumental in maintaining the QA/QC process. Our team of dedicated craftsmen are recognized for their attention to detail on this customized build.

Recognizing the importance of the project, the dedication of the building took place on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. It was imperative that PCC ensure a commitment to on-time delivery in order for the project to be completed and the dedication scheduled as planned. Officials with the U.S. Holocaust Museum dedicated the facility as “The David and Fela Shapell Family Collections, Conservation and Research Center.” The building, a $40 million storage and research facility, will house 99% of the documents and artifacts held by the museum. These artifacts are not on display in Washington, DC.

Emphasizing the legacy of the center’s contents, Irvin Shapell, said, “For (those) nameless victims, their only connection to the world, to us, to history, and to the future, are the people who work here and preserve their memory and tell to the world what happened to them.” The Shapell Family Foundation contributed more than $15 million toward the planning and building of the center.