U.S. Olympic Museum Design Team Revealed

By Ioana Neamt, Associate Editor

U.S. Olympic Museum officials recently revealed the team chosen to handle the design and construction work for the country’s first Olympic Museum. Anderson Mason Dale Architects of Denver is the architect of record, New York City-based Diller, Scofidio + Renfro are the design architects, Gallagher and Associates of Washington, D.C. will design the exhibits, while Portland-based Pacific Studio will fabricate them.

GE Johnson Construction Company is the only local firm selected to be part of the team, and will serve as general contractor. The five world-renowned firms responded to an RFP posted by the U.S. Olympic Museum back in March, and they were selected from hundreds of local and national companies, according to a news release.

“GE Johnson Construction Company is honored to be selected as the Construction Manager/General Contractor for the United States Olympic Museum Project,” said Jim Johnson, CEO of GE Johnson. “Headquartered in Colorado Springs, GE Johnson Construction has constructed numerous projects in the region that include private and public money. However, the significance of a one-of-a-kind structure such as in the United States Olympic Museum increases the visibility and accountability from the donors, current athletes, past athletes and future athletes and visitors.”

The U.S. Olympic Museum and Hall of Fame will be located in Colorado Springs’ Southwest Downtown Urban Renewal Area, and is slated for completion in early 2018, prior to the Winter Olympics. The facility will include a 20,000-square-foot exhibition hall, a 1,000-square-foot broadcast studio, an outdoor gathering place and amphitheater, as well as 8,000 square feet of flex space for special events. This one-of-a-kind project is expected to create 80 permanent jobs and up to 150 construction jobs.

The total cost of the project is estimated at roughly $60 million. Trustees of the El Pomar Foundation recently made a $10 million donation towards the construction of the museum, as reported by Inside the Game. According to the Colorado Springs Independent, the Nor’wood Development Group has also donated 2.5 acres near Vermijo Ave. and Sierra Madre St. for the project.

The museum is part of a $250.6 million City for Champions tourism initiative, which includes the development of four projects designed to attract visitors and help boost the local economy: the U.S. Olympic Museum, the Colorado Sports and Event Center, the Sports Medicine and Performance Center, and the Gateway Visitor Center.