Chicago’s Union Station Great Hall, originally designed in 1925, needed substantial repairs due to water leakage and deterioration due to flaws in the original design. The Great Hall restoration project was the most recent in a series of Union Station restoration projects that began in 2010.
Goettsch Partners began the $22-million dollar Great Hall project over three years ago. The design team renovated the station’s 219-foot-long skylight, which experienced extensive moisture damage over the past several decades. An energy-efficient, modern skylight was designed and built five feet above the original cast-iron skylight. The new skylight comprises steel and 858 panes of clear, high-efficiency glass that protects the building while brightening the Great hall interiors with 50% more natural daylight than before.
See Also: Art-focused hotel will be the first to open in the Dallas Arts District
Other aspects of the restoration included structural improvements, new plumbing, plaster repair, restored ornamentation, and new lighting. The architectural team removed layers of paint to reveal the original coloration of the Great Hall’s ornate plasterwork and then restored the station to its original color scheme. Additionally, a new elevator was installed and 24 ceiling chandeliers and two figural sculptures were restored.
Workers used a suspended work deck with swing stages, as opposed to conventional floor-mounted scaffolding, so work could proceed without interrupting the commute of the 120,000 daily travelers.
Related Stories
| Apr 3, 2012
Blaine Brownell on innovative materials applications in architecture
Brownell, who was named a BD+C 40 Under 40 in 2006, provides insight regarding emerging material trends and the creative implementation of materials.
| Mar 12, 2012
Improving the performance of existing commercial buildings: the chemistry of sustainable construction
Retrofitting our existing commercial buildings is one of the key steps to overcoming the economic and environmental challenges we face.
| Mar 6, 2012
Joliet Junior College achieves LEED Gold
With construction managed by Gilbane Building Company, Joliet Junior College’s Facility Services Building combines high-performance technologies with sustainable materials to meet aggressive energy efficiency goals.
| Mar 1, 2012
Reconstruction of L.A.’s Dunbar Hotel underway
Withee Malcolm Architects’ designs for the project include the complete renovation of the Dunbar Hotel and the Somerville Apartments I and II.
| Feb 26, 2012
Milwaukee U-Haul facility receives LEED-CI Silver
The new elements of the facility now include: efficient lighting with day-lighting controls and occupancy sensors, a high-efficiency HVAC system used in conjunction with a newly constructed thermal envelope to help reduce energy consumption, and the installation of low-flow fixtures to reduce water consumption.
