Formerly the site of a hardware store, the Halsted St. location of the National Hellenic Museum will add classic and modern architecture to the streetscape while providing an homage to Greek culture.

By Amy Rothblatt

Museum officials recently held a kickoff celebration in the West Loop’s Greektown community at 333 S. Halsted St., site of the forthcoming National Hellenic Museum.

As the first U.S. institution devoted to honoring Greek culture, traditions, history, and civilization, the $15 million, 40,000-square-foot structure will combine elements of old and new architecture to represent ancient through modern Greek civilization.

“Our Greek-American population is the second-largest in the United States and third-largest in the world,” said Mayor Richard M. Daley. “That’s why it is only fitting to open the National Hellenic Museum here.” Daley also noted the museum “will complement Chicago’s already vibrant arts and cultural community.”

Also on hand were Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th Ward); Congressman Danny Davis (D-7th); Consul General of Greece Anastasios Petrovas; and the museum’s board president, Aristotle Halikias, and executive director, Stephanie Vlahakis.

“The museum is a dream come true because Greektown has been part of Chicago’s cultural fabric for decades, and it will be even more beneficial to the hip, up-and-coming West Loop to have this historical, cultural addition,” Vlahakis said. With Greektown’s proximity to Jane Addams’Hull-House down the street on Halsted, Vlahakis noted the area “has long been a gateway for immigrants into the city” and that “the museum will provide an experience of what immigration was like, not only for theGreeks but for all immigrants who have come to this city and country.”

Vlahakis said the kickoff was “as if we had made it to the top of Mt. Olympus, and to be under construction during this difficult time in the economy is especially a time for celebration.”

Burnett said the museum “will benefit our neighborhood and our city” and aid tourism.

Lynn Seermon,managing director of the West Central Association, said the museum“ will be a wonderful contribution to the neighborhood, especially since the fire last year at Van Buren and Halsted Streets that destroyed Greek restaurants, businesses, and the Greek grocery store. I think that it will play an important role in preserving the Greek corridor on Halsted Street.”

Martha Goldstein, executive director of the West Loop Community Organization, said, “I think it’s going to be a wonderful thing for the entire community. Our organization represents the residents and businesses of the West Loop, and have since 1991. We’re very much looking forward to this historic museum and the people that it will bring to the neighborhood.”

The museum will focus on history, culture, and art. It will recount Greek history fromancient times to the present, from the stories of Homer and Herodotus to the experiences of Greek immigrants.

Architecture is by Demetrios Stavrianos of the firm RTKL, with construction by Centaur Construction; together they are creating a LEED-certified green structure.

The first floor’s 10,000 square feet will include the Calamos Great Hall, a 5,300-square-foot space for temporary exhibitions. First up will be Gods, Myths, and Mortals, a show exploring mythology and featuring a 14-foot Temple of Zeus and 14-foot Trojan horse. The first floor also will hold the museum store and a special events hall.

The second floor will contain the Halikias Family Exhibition Hall, permanent exhibitions, and an education center with classroom space and an art studio.

The third floor will house the Gus and Mary Stathis Library, the Frank S. Kamberos Oral History Center, a recording studio, and staff offices. A rooftop terrace will feature three gardens.

The museum will open late next fall. For more information, call (312) 655-1234 or log on to www.nationalhellenicmuseum.org.