Harley-Davidson Museum bids all “Hog” lovers… ride
July 31, 2008
Earlier this month, motor-cycle giant Harley-Davidson celebrated the opening of the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, WI. Planned to coincide with its 105th Anniversary, a 20-acre tract of land now holds a 130,000 sq. ft. museum development with retail spaces, restaurant and café, special event and exhibition services.
Begun two years ago and designed by New York architect, Pentagram, and local architect, Hammel, Green and Abrahamson, the development was designed to align with the City’s Land Use Plan for the Menomonee Valley, which, in essence, was to put to good use land previously perceived as unusable. Seated next to a highway and surrounded by water on three sides, the site has an industrial type feel and the well thought out structures stand ready to welcome visitors from across the globe.
Invited to provide acoustical consulting and mechanical and noise control services for the museum, exhibition spaces and retail building, Chicago-based architectural acoustics firm Kirkegaard Associates (KA), eagerly kick-started their engines and headed north to play their part in history. Because the Museum Building consists of three floors with the main and second levels designed as large exhibition spaces, particular attention was paid to reverberation and mechanical noise control. Conference spaces warranted that the KA team pay particular attention to surface materials to achieve the appropriate environment for business activities, while the retail area restaurant demanded the control of background noise and loudness buildup.
Harley’s history is legend, and memorabilia lovingly preserved now rests in permanent exhibit space telling the tale of what has become a universal fascination with “the bike.” With hundreds on display, including the Serial Number One motorcycle from 1903; the “King Kong” [it is 13 feet long and has two engines] and Elvis’ 1956 KH model, this creative space has resulted in something more than a few buildings. It is a destination – one which boasts a prized orange road that “Hog” lovers will strive to see and drive to reach.
Kirkegaard’s project team was led by Principal Consultant, Joseph Myers; Senior Consultant, Louie Sunga; and responsibility for mechanical noise and vibration control was directed by Senior Consultant Terry Tyson.
Kirkegaard Associates is one of the world’s leading acoustics design firms providing comprehensive consulting services for clients seeking the highest quality listening environments. The firm consists of 28 individuals offering experience in architectural acoustics, audio/video systems design; electronic media technology, and mechanical noise and vibration control. The company has earned a reputation for excellence in the design of more than 2,500 successful projects which include: theatres, concert halls, opera houses, educational institutions, worship spaces, recording and broadcast studios, and many other acoustically sensitive environments in North and South America, Europe, the Far East and Australia.