The Chicago Building, located at 7 West Madison Street in Chicago, Illinois, was designed by Holabird and Roche and was constructed in 1905. In 1997, the building was converted to residential use for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) to serve as student housing. The Chicago Building is an early example of the Chicago School of Architecture with a structural steel frame, terra cotta cladding, multiple tiers of projecting bays, and large “Chicago Style” windows. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated a Chicago Landmark.

Klein & Hoffman’s involvement consisted of the investigation of the facade conditions and design of the temporary stabilization for potentially hazardous conditions, preparation of reports that included repair recommendations and cost estimates, followed up by the preparation of repair documents and specifications, and continued through construction. Repairs at 7 W. Madison were completed in a single phase. During the project, we worked closely with the Historic Preservation Division of the Chicago Department of Planning & Development toward an appropriate and historically sensitive rehabilitation of this significant Chicago landmark façade.