The team on the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum was tasked with creating a dramatic space that would take visitors on an emotional and physical journey through a devastating and difficult chapter of history.

Representing a major expansion from its original location, the 54,769-sq-ft museum features a 250-seat theater with interactive, 3D holographic projections of survivors’ testimonies, 17,500 sq ft of exhibit space and two expandable 50-seat classrooms.

Working with a considerably tight footprint and a steel frame design that left little room for error, the project team had to carefully execute the delivery of this much larger facility. The site’s compact location and proximity to adjacent light rail lines meant that space for deliveries, onsite assembly and storage was severely limited. The design, construction and subcontractor teams had to take this issue into account during all phases of construction. They placed construction trailers more than a block away from the site and rented an existing parking lot for three months to provide additional storage space. The construction team worked with subcontractors to assemble some materials off site.

Virtual design and modularization was critical to building the facility’s facade. The drywall support structure and substrate for the museum’s prominently featured copper panels were assembled off site and delivered to expedite scheduling and free up onsite storage.

Because of angle variations, each of the 88 manufactured copper panels had to have its own shop drawing to detail dimensions and stud specifications. The panels each captured three non-repeating angles and featured unique layouts and dimensions.

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