Landmarks Illinois will honor Randolph Tower as Project of Year at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards ceremony, which will be held on Saturday, October 26, at the InterContinental Chicago Hotel.
The project transformed the landmarked Steuben Club Building, a shuttered and dormant Jazz Era skyscraper, into a multi-use residential development with luxurious rental units and expansive amenity areas. The restoration of the facade and the adaptive reuse of the building were completed in December 2012. The $145 million, 312-unit project finished on time and on budget.
Nearly 60 percent of the building exterior was in disrepair. In total, 14,000 terra cotta units were removed and replaced; another 10,000 terra cotta units were removed and reused; and 8,000 units were repaired in place. To replace the original terra cotta gargoyles that were removed in the 1960’s, new reproductions were sculpted based upon historic photographs. The retail storefront restoration included removal of the 1950’s granite panels and complete recreation of the original, ornate terra cotta based on the original 1928 terra cotta shop drawings.
The adaptive reuse of the interior combined historic restoration with contemporary design features. Although most of the interiors were previously demolished, surviving historical elements were preserved, including murals from the dining room ceiling, marble wainscoting in the corridors, terrazzo floors in the ballroom, and the original swimming pool.
The design and construction team included Hartshorne Plunkard Architect as the architect of record; Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates as the façade restoration architect; Linn-Mathes, Inc. as the general contractor; and Central Building & Preservation as the façade restoration contractor.
Landmarks Illinois is the state’s leading voice for historic preservation. Supported by a grant from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the awards program honors individuals and organizations whose works demonstrate a commitment to historic preservation.