Architect: DeStefano and Partners
Owner: Chicago Park District
Value of project: $200,000
Scope: Historical masonry restoration
Time frame: 3 months
Project Overview:
After years of abandonment and neglect, the Chicago Park District wished to convert this aging auditorium into a modern gymnastics center. Restore Masonry took on the task of performing painstaking restoration to the ornamental exterior brick and limestone walls. Existing mortar joints were completely ground out and the exterior was cleaned. The parapets, brick lintels and arches were removed and rebuilt according to the original design. The mortar joints were then re-pointed with a mortar that matched the original mortar. This labor-intensive work was completed three months ahead of schedule and within budget. Today this building is the new home of a two-story gymnastics center and is the recipient of the Restoration Award from the Illinois Indiana Masonry Council.
