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Building Type: Gallery
Airport Terminals, Hangars & Other Aviation-Related Projects
 One of the premier attractions at the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum is the new 120,000 sq. ft. air museum theater. Used for its construction was an arched building system by SteelMaster Buildings of Virginia Beach, VA.
Designed to be reminiscent of the types of structures that housed airmen in England during World War II, the building shell was constructed with two concentric arches, with one arch constructed directly over the other. With a 2” insulated gap between structures, the theater is able to maintain a comfortable temperature and an acoustically sound environment.
“Not only were we able to provide the Air Zoo (that’s the nickname the museum is also known by) with a building that resembles airmen quarter from the WW II era, but we were able to finish the building in about a month,” said Pope Woodard, a SteelMaster Senior Design Specialist.
The 4-D theater, which includes a 180-degree, 20’ x 60’ screen, will reach audiences never before exposed to the world of flight by offering a multi-sensory flight experience. Using 3-D film technology with added special effects, the theater is the only one of its kind in the entire Midwest. Visitors can expect to travel to an airbase outside London in 1943, where they will board a B-17 bomber for a mission deep in the heart of Germany and experience startling in-theater effects like shaking seats and overhead fighter planes.
“The 4-D theater and other components of the Air Zoo don’t just teach people about history, it surrounds them with it,” said Bob Ellis, the museum’s executive director. “We could not be more pleased with the theater building. It fits our themed World War II English air field perfectly.”
Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum
Kalamazoo, MI |
