When EOA Architects (Nashville, Tennessee) and HGA Architects and Engineers (Minneapolis, Minnesota) were designing the state-of-the-art Tennessee State Museum, they needed durable, high-performance entrances that would deliver on the signature of innovation.
To solve for this, the architect tandem selected the creator of the balanced door, Ellison Bronze, to craft 40 bronze stile and rail balanced doors, each featuring a Satin #4 finish with a custom patina for a truly vintage look.
According to Sheila Dial-Barton, AIA, principal at EOA Architects, and the person in charge of the specification: “Other door types were considered throughout the project, but each came with a compromise to function, aesthetics, or longevity.”
Ellison Bronze custom balanced doors were chosen for a handful of reasons.
The first was for their ease of operability. Balanced doors feature an inset pivot point that allows users to open them very easily despite their size and weight. For museum spaces specifically, large balanced doors allow for considerable amounts of people to enter the museum on a daily basis, giving the museum the ability to host large events and bring exhibit pieces in and out with ease. The construction quality, material choices, and longevity of Ellison doors also made them the ideal choice.
“The museum is intended to truly serve as the ‘front door’ for the state of Tennessee,” added Dial-Barton. “Built with durable, quality materials, it’s designed to be a ‘100-year building’ and last long into the next century.”
Read the full story and see how Ellison Bronze helped this Tennessee staple come to life.
