Ellison Bronze Doors Specified for George W. Bush Library and Museum

Ellison Bronze, Inc., the inventor of the balanced door and today’s leader in providing the highest quality marquee entrances in the industry, offers its custom door systems to the George W. Bush Library and Museum, located on the campus of Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas.

As the first Presidential Library of the 21st century, the dignified building complements the American Georgian style of the SMU campus. Clad in red brick and limestone, the expansive, flat-roofed three-story structure is surrounded by a landscape of native Texas trees and shrubs.

The George W. Bush Library and Museum contains a total of 42 Ellison doors, utilizing over 15,000 pounds of  #280 alloy muntz bronze sheet material on the doors and frames. The doors feature custom one-of-a-kind bronze handles, each proudly displaying the lone star of Texas. Every door also has custom-milled bronze bar thresholds, employing 3,750 pounds of #280 alloy muntz bronze plate.

“Ellison Bronze is well-known and when it comes to monumental doors, we knew we had to go with the best. As expected, the custom doors are grand, beautiful and have great craftsmanship. The rich bronze doors, hardware and thresholds really make a statement,” says Jason Wroblewski, senior project manager for Haley-Greer, the project’s contract glazier. “This was a very complicated project because of the large quantity of both custom doors and hardware. Ellison’s hard work and experience are what helped to make it a success.”

Ellison provided five pairs of custom monumental balanced door units, including hardware and immediate framing. Four of the pairs are an impressive 12-feet tall. Each of these doors includes three raised bronze panels surrounded by a solid bronze bar. The construction and hinging hardware allow the sizable doors to be opened easily. The balanced doors pivot at two-thirds the width of the door, creating a balance that distributes the weight so the door requires little force to open. The inset balancing point allows for an easier open force, even against external wind and internal building pressure, despite the added weight of the sturdy components.

The George W. Bush Library and Museum also contains 32 swing doors from Ellison, including 15 double units and two singles. Each door has either six or eight true divided lites of glass achieved by using solid bronze bars. The glass stops were custom bronze extrusions crafted from 2,400 pounds of #385 architectural bronze. Each door and glass panel was produced from 3,885 pounds of #385 architectural bronze bar.

The Ellison doors are located throughout the museum, including Freedom Hall, a 14,000-square-foot formal gathering space at the entrance. Freedom Hall is the signature architectural feature of the building, featuring a 67-foot high tower. The Ellison doors also lead to an outdoor courtyard with a café.

“This is a significant project and we are thrilled to be part of it,” says Mark Graves, president of Ellison. “Our doors are often specified for high-profile buildings because of their sophistication and durability.”

Each door is manufactured and pre-hung at Ellison before it leaves the factory, allowing any adjustments to be made so that the operation of the door is honed to perfection for easier installations.

Accompanying the functionality and superior quality of an Ellison door, the company also provides detailed record-keeping and full warranties. Every door made is imprinted with an individual project number (similar to that of a car’s VIN number) to facilitate easy tracking and maintenance. Furthermore, all Ellison balanced hardware components are machined in-house, which means that replacement components are always readily available.

The George W. Bush Library and Museum opened to the public in May 2013 and was designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects.