OVERVIEW
Wood Slab Doors Transformed with Round Windows and Colorful Paint
J.C. Anderson (JCA) Construction Company completed the interior build-out for Color Factory, an immersive art museum, now open to the public at Willis Tower. Visitors are invited to experience the joy of color through hands-on installations, and interactive colorful rooms.
“With such an imaginative and highly visual and sensory end result, meticulous attention to detail was necessary,” said JCA VP John Angelovich. “Through rigorous pre-planning and ongoing communication between artists from around the world, scenic vendors, and subcontractors, we were able to successfully execute in a tight (16 week) timeframe with unique expectations.”
As one of the subcontractors JCA relied upon, Anderson Lock responded “with flying colors!”
Meeting the fast turnaround time was not an issue for our Door Division because:
- Our immense warehouse is well-stocked with standard, paint-grade wood slab doors.
- Unlike other area door suppliers, we’ve installed a CNC (computer numerical control) machine that can easily customize cutouts and door preps.
- Frames and commercial door hardware are also in stock, ready to be shipped to local job sites.
Knowling that factory-ordered commercial wood doors have been back-ordered by 16-20 weeks in recent months, Anderson Lock Door Division is really the only option Chicagoland contractors have for meeting “tight timeframes with unique expectations!”
Mark Mamrot, our factory-trained CNC machine operator, said this is the first time he’s programmed it to create circular cutouts. But he “only needed to enter the vision lite diameter. The CNC automatically cuts the circles, hinge, lock and other preps.” White metal porthole vision kits, with glass, were added after the doors were colorfully painted at Chicago’s new museum. Two fire-rated doors required a slightly different diameter for round Anemostat fire-rated vision frames. Office Manager Tanya Windbiel noted that 55 paint-grade wood doors were supplied from stock. Of those, 17 were customized with circular cutouts. All shipped with frames and hardware from our Elk Grove warehouse. Alex Lin bid this project; Gordon Itami was the Project Manager.
In total, JCA built ten unique Color Factory galleries which reflect Chicago’s color palette and themes. The final tally named 117 different paint colors.
JCA’s Dave Goss says, “We are always happy to work with Anderson Lock. The detail, the supervision of projects, the timely service…we are very happy with everything.”
