Editor Jan Klerks interviewed partners Ray Hartshorne and Paul Alessandro about the challenges of adaptively reusing historic Chicago buildings in the 2012 Issue I of the CTBUH Journal, the quarterly publication of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
In an article entitled “Talking Tall: A Future for Tall Building History,” Ray and Paul referenced a case study of the adaptive reuse of Randolph Tower, a circa 1929, 45-story neo-Gothic office tower originally known as the Steuben Club Building. The project is being transformed into a luxury apartment building, slated to open in 2012. The terra cotta facade is undergoing a full repair and restoration, while existing interior spaces, such as the ballroom and existing pool, are being updated as amenity spaces for residents.
Remarking on the potential of vintage skyscrapers to be rehabilitated, they commented, “As architects, we can aid this process by demonstrating the virtue of rehabilitating and reimaging skyscrapers, which create a framework for the revitalization of city centers.”
More information about the CTBUH Journal can be found here.