Great Hall Makes Grand Entrance for Allis Art Museum

The new Great Hall addition to the Charles Allis Art Museum at 1630 East Royall Place provides an elegant second entrance to the landmark gallery. The Great Hall's main entrance faces east toward Prospect Ave.

The addition's English accents complement the adjoining Tudor-style Allis mansion designed by Alexander Eschweiler in 1910 for the first  president of Allis-Chalmers. Charles and Sarah Allis bequeathed their magnificent home and world class art collection to the people of Milwaukee in 1946.

Susan Modder, the museum's Executive Director, characterizes the blending of old and new as "seamless." She said, "It's so well integrated. The ultimate compliment has been paid to Beyer Construction and Uihlein/Wilson Architects when visitors have asked me 'What did this room used to be used for?'" She said she has to laugh when she tells them it used to be the back yard.

The Great Hall is a multipurpose facility which will accommodate art shows, lectures and music recitals. It includes a conference room, a new catering kitchen, and restrooms, and it overlooks a bluestone terrace which eventually will be flanked  by an English garden.

The light, open foyer features custom chandeliers suspended from a timbered ceiling 21 feet aloft. The trim and flooring are of white oak, and the west wall is easily adaptable to displaying works of art. Professional musicians have declared the space "acoustically beautiful."

Improvements to the existing building include renovations to areas adjacent to the Great Hall, a new self-service, five-stop elevator and preservation and replication of historic architectural detail inside and out. The addition's exterior is clad in brick and features vineyard red sandstone trim, and copper flashing, gutters, conductor heads and downspouts.