An Iconic Venue Gets An Overhaul

December 10, 2020

An Iconic Venue Gets An Overhaul

Renovations for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Field House are nearly complete despite delays due to the current pandemic. The UW Field House is a multi-purpose arena adjacent to Camp Randall Stadium and home to the Badger volleyball and wrestling teams.

The historic landmark, designed in a renaissance revival style, dates back to 1930 when it opened.  With a capacity of 8,000 the Field House hosted the university’s basketball games. Between 1933 and 1960, the building also housed the school’s boxing program.

In 1941 the Field House was used by the university’s president to announce to students the attack on Pearl Harbor. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

The Windows

Upgrades to the exterior envelope of the building included replacing its sizable steel framed windows with a modern aluminum solution. Some openings were as large as 11 ft. wide and 27 ft. tall.

Original window next to Graham’s replacement

To meet the challenge of replicating the original windows, Graham employed its SR6700 Steel Replica product. With its thin sightlines and multiple profile options, the SR6700 has become popular with landmark renovation projects, often playing a key role in clinching sought-after historic tax credits.

Design challenges also included curved frames lining up across multiple window sections. In all, Graham supplied 376 of these windows to fill 53 openings.

To find out more about the Graham window and door products used on this project, contact Jim Eisenbeis, Graham’s Director of Marketing.