DuSable Museum Roundhouse
Designed by Burnham & Root in 1880 and built of Joliet Lemont limestone, this rare round house stable and its adjacent buildings, served most recently as the maintenance shops for the Chicago Park District. The Round House is a Chicago Landmark and is also on the National Register of Historic Places.
The DuSable Museum of African American History obtained ownership of these buildings in order to expand the current museum. BauerLatoza Studio needed to perform a thorough assessment to identify areas of deterioration for retention and restoration. The firm then followed up with design recommendations for structure-wide improvements.
Following the assessment, feasibility report, and cost estimate for repairs, BauerLatoza Studio collaborated with the museum staff to program for a space plan that included classrooms, research and conservation labs, libraries, offices, catering kitchen, performance area, and exhibition areas for the buildings and surrounding site. Using the information from the initial assessment, the DuSable Museum raised the $12 million necessary to implement the Phase I exterior restoration that consisted of masonry restoration, rebuilding, pointing, patching and cleaning. BauerLatoza Studio designed the replacement roofs, windows, and doors based on historic research, attempting to replicate the original design elements.
- Client: DuSable Museum
- Project Address: 740 E. 56th Place, Chicago, Illinois
- Project Size: 42,000 square feet
- Construction Cost: $12 million
- Services Provided: Assessment, Feasibility Study, Cost Estimate, Programming, Space Planning, Restoration Design Documents, Construction Documents, Construction Administration
- LEED Certification: Goal of Silver