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LaSalle Bank Theatre/
Hampton Majestic Inn
Award of Merit: Renovation/Restoration
Walking into the LaSalle Bank Theatre is like walking into
history. In the back of the house of the theater once known
as the Shubert, the names of those who had worked on the original
construction in 1904 were scribbled on wall corners.
The grand dame closed in May 2005 for a $35 million renovation.
The project had a two-fold orientation because of the two distinct
areas of the building, the theater itself and the hotel, which
was formerly an office and retail space.
The goal was to restore the theater, implementing current building
codes and safety requirements of modern-day construction. This
included adding fire sprinklers; life safety systems; an Americans
with Disabilities Act-compliant, six-story hydraulic elevator;
and maintaining the original decor of the landmark-designated
facility.
The Majestic Hotel included the modernization of existing elevator
systems; introduction of new fire sprinklers; the completion
of 135 new guestrooms with full amenities; the construction
of a 75-ton emergency egress stairwell suspended from the existing
structure.
An Irreplaceable Building
A number of elements made the project a one of a kind.
It started with the process of peeling of decades of history
to find unknown conditions, such as the ornate half-barrel decorative
plaster ceiling that became the center point for the West Ticket
Lobby on the Main Floor.
Countless antique bronze light fixtures were refurbished, and
ornate, gilded gold-leaf paint schemes were also revitalized.
Another discovery was of an ornate brass handrail balustrade
that was hidden under layers of plaster since the Great Depression,
more than 70 years old.
Final decisions were subject to review by the city of Chicago
because of the
building's landmark designation. It was imperative to maintain
dialogue between the team and the city to keep the project on
schedule, and more than 500 design changes were issued over
13 months.
The existing MEP systems were outdated, failing or missing,
and routing, tracing and updating of systems was required throughout.
Jury Comments: "This was an intriguing project. They found
some old materials, polished the old gem and upgraded the systems.
Bravo!"
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