Midwest Express Center
Milwaukee, WI
The Midwest Express Center is a 670,000-square-foot convention and exhibition complex in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Originally planned as a steel super- structure with a combination of glass and precast concrete for the exterior skin, the tight construction schedule and long lead time necessary for the detailing and fabrication of the steel components made the designers select instead a structural system consisting of steel, precast and cast-in-place concrete components.
Precast panels made with Lehigh white cement and serving as a backing for brick facing and as accents, provide the exterior cladding. Using architectural precast on the building's exterior allowed the builder to maintain the Center's relationship to the traditional Germanic architecture of downtown Milwaukee. Supplied by International Concrete Products and produced using Lehigh white cement, the exterior panels were cast with dovetail slots in the nonexposed areas to secure the brick. Peaks, arches and banding on the panels were acid-etched and left exposed to add contrast and accent detailing. International Concrete Products also produced interior architectural panels and precast artwork.
Design Architect: Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Assoc., Atlanta
Managing Architect: Engberg Anderson Design Partnership Inc., Milwaukee
Precast Manufacturers: International Concrete Products Inc., Germantown, WI & J.W. Peters & Sons Inc., Burlington, WI
Photographer: Bob Freund
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