Roosevelt University

Opportunity: Ganz Hall, housed in the Auditorium Building on Roosevelt University’s Chicago campus, was originally designed by Louis Sullivan and constructed in 1890. The once grand 4,000 square foot recital hall featured intricate plaster and carved wood ornaments, lavish stained glass windows, and cast iron electric chandeliers, all of which had fallen into disrepair.

Solution: Based on archival photos, new chandeliers were molded and cast in a rigorous process that replicated the original “electroliers” down to the Edison carbon filament light bulbs. Each of the 450-lb, six-foot tall lights were covered with gold leaf and hand-painted. New seating, carpeting, a reconstructed stage, woodwork repair, and a new mechanical system enhance listening to music in the hall.

Value: The restoration of Ganz Hall received a Chicago Landmark Award for Preservation Excellence, as well as two awards from the American Institute of Architects Chicago Chapter – the Divine Detail Award, for the restoration of the Electroliers, and the Interior Architecture Citation of Merit.