Safehouse Temple Door
Weighing nearly 1500 pounds and standing 10 feet in diameter, the Safehouse Temple Door is a functioning steel bank vault door installed on the façade of Civic Arts Church, a historic building that was recently transformed to amplify the rich African American heritage of its community. The door serves to raise attention to lead contamination in water, soil, and housing with the site serving as one of several activation points for the Chicago Fundred Initiative: A Bill for IL.
STEAM Faculty, Staff, and Students engineered, fabricated and installed the door for Mel Chin and Source Studio and is one of 29 MacArthur Fellow commissioned artworks affiliated with the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art Chicago-based city-wide exhibition that celebrates the 40th anniversary of the fellowship, which begun in 1981 by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Mel Chin was named a MacArthur genius in 2019, and in 2021, he became a recipient of an Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts at UNC Asheville.
Safehouse Temple Door Fabrication and Installation
Work takes shape on the Safehouse Temple Door in Chicago.
STEAM Studio Team stands in front of the Safehouse Temple Door.
Bolts being tightened on the Safehouse Temple Door.
Internal mechanics of the door take shape.
Internal mechanics of the door take shape.
Finishing touches to the Safehouse Temple Door.
STEAM Studio team hangs the Safehouse Temple Door.
STEAM Studio Team stands in front of the Safehouse Temple Door.
Mockups of the Safehouse Temple Door.
Adjustments being made on the Safehouse Door.
STEAM Studio team works on the Safehouse Temple Door.
STEAM Studio team works on the Safehouse Temple Door.
STEAM Studio team works on the Safehouse Temple Door.
Mel Chin works on sketches and calculations.
Welding work being done on the Safehouse Temple Door.
Safehouse Door Project, STEAM Studio, Chicago, Photo credit the install team.
Safehouse Door Project, STEAM Studio, Chicago, Photo credit the install team.
Safehouse Door Project, STEAM Studio, Chicago, Photo credit the install team.
Safehouse Door Project, Chicago, STEAM Studio, Photo credit the install team.
Safehouse Door Project, STEAM Studio, Chicago, Mel Chin, Sara Sanders, Photo credit the install team.
Safehouse Door Project, Chicago, STEAM Studio, Photo credit the install team.
Safehouse Door Project, Chicago, STEAM Studio, Photo credit the install team.