Company Expertise Projects Contact Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Art on theMART Art on theMART will be the largest digital art projection in the world. This will be a first-of-its-kind for Chicago, projected across 2.5 acres (two football fields) of theMART’s exterior river-façade, adding to the city’s vibrant public art scene. Image courtesy of Josh Brott, Obscura Digital 10 PROJECT TYPE Building STATUS Complete DELIVERY METHOD Construction Management At-Risk SERVICES New Construction LOCATION 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza Chicago, IL 60654 DURATION 9 Months SIZE 2.5 acre projection ARCHITECT Obscura Digital with Valerio Dewalt Train Associates Project Overview In the spirit of Chicago’s great legacy of public art and culture, Art on theMART is the largest digital art projection in the world. This installation is a first-of-its-kind for Chicago, projected across 2.5 acres (two football fields) of theMART’s exterior river-façade, adding to the city’s vibrant public art scene. The idea was first proposed in 2014 by Mayor Emanuel’s team and the tourism bureau of Chicago. Approach Our work as construction manager on the project centered on modifications at the Chicago River Walk to create the structure and associated facilities for the projector. This included the construction of a server room, projection room, ComEd electrical vault with new 480 V service, a food service kitchen and public restroom facilities. We also brought fiber optic communication lines under the Chicago River and conducted vibration studies to determine the viability of the installation. Our crews installed 108 anchors for the projector racks, all of which were within a mandatory 1/32” tolerance. Tolerances were especially tight because one millimeter of deviation at the projector installation would have created two feet of deviation of the image on the building. All construction took place in a highly trafficked public area, the Chicago Riverwalk, so dust control and careful logistics planning was critical. The project required multiple lanes closures on Lower and Upper Wacker Drive, which were all coordinated with the City and went on without incident. This included placing a Berglund crane on Upper Wacker Drive. The project was completed on time and on budget, resulting in the largest digital art display in the world. From March through December, Art on theMART is scheduled to run on Wednesdays through Sundays for up to two hours. Video by Obscura Digital Previous Next 1 / 7 Rendering of Projection Booth National Geographic Top 24 Most Unconventional Art Destinations Around the World 26 Best Attractions to See this Spring View Photo Gallery Featured News View All News Berglund Celebrates Launch of Art on theMART News October 04, 2018 On Saturday night, the Mer­chan­dise Mart turned into a 2.5‑acre canvas as Berglund cel­e­brat­ed the suc­cess­ful completion… Berglund breaks ground on the Electrical Insurance Trustees Fund office News November 24, 2021 Berglund broke ground this past week on the new office space for the Elec­tri­cal Insurance Trustees Fund. Berglund takes part in the transformative Invest South/West development Press November 19, 2021 Berglund Con­struc­tion is excited and proud to be part of the DL3 Realty, Revere Prop­er­ties, Claretian Asso­ciates, and… Berglund’s restoration work prompts 2021 Landmarks Illinois The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Chicago’s Union Station Awards November 04, 2021 It is always an honor to restore one of our city’s most iconic buildings. Our restora­tion division worked alongside… More Projects UNITY TEMPLE RESTORATION FOUNDATION Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple Restoration AMTRAK Chicago Union Station Great Hall Restoration Restoration UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICINE Comer Children's Hospital Labor & Delivery Building Company Our Commitments Team News Work With Us Our Ethics Policy Diversity & Inclusion Expertise Building Restoration Projects Civic & Cultural Commercial Education Government/Public Healthcare Hospitality Industrial Religious Residential Retail Gaming Contact View Open Positions Subcontractor Prequalification © 2021 Berglund Construction Terms of Use Privacy Policy Corporate HQ 8410 S. South Chicago Ave. Chicago, IL 60617 (773) 374-1000 Downtown Chicago 111 E. Wacker, Suite 2450 Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 726-6624 Northwest Indiana 126 Venturi Drive Chesterton, IN 46304 (219) 926-4246 Florida 4616 Eagle Falls Place Tampa, FL 33619 (813) 612-5765 Ohio 371 Maier Place B15 Columbus, OH 43215 (773) 374-1000 Champaign 3301 Fields South Drive Suite 104 Champaign, IL 61822 (773) 374-1000 Wisconsin 1650 West Miller Park Way Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53214 (773) 374-1000 Linkedin Facebook YouTube Employee Access Email ShareFile Employee Access WRD