A theater operator, developer, and hotelier sought to renovate the CIBC Theatre (formerly named the LaSalle Bank Theatre) and convert the Majestic office building above into a new Hampton Inn Hotel. A defining element of the renovation was the discovery and restoration of details obscured over time, including an ornate lobby vestibule with intricate moldings and a dramatic plaster ceiling in the lobby and auditorium.
While the CIBC Theatre has been restored to its classical grandeur, its functionality is entirely new. Inside the theatre, new seats were installed, aisles were reconfigured, and the slope of the orchestra level was adjusted for improved sight lines. The new Theatre marquee and façade, restored in a rigorous process involving over 1,400 recast terra-cotta panels, radiates the energy and excitement of the original building.
In 2006 the restoration was recognized with the prestigious Chicago Landmark Award for Preservation Excellence.
Awards: 2007 Chicago Building Congress Merit Award for Rehab Construction, 2007 Friends of Downtown Best Renovation, Midwest Construction’s Best of 2006
CIBC Theatre
Type: Cultural
Location: Chicago, IL
Year: 2006
Size: 45,900 sf
Description
CIBC Theatre
A theater operator, developer, and hotelier sought to renovate the CIBC Theatre (formerly named the LaSalle Bank Theatre) and convert the Majestic office building above into a new Hampton Inn Hotel. A defining element of the renovation was the discovery and restoration of details obscured over time, including an ornate lobby vestibule with intricate moldings and a dramatic plaster ceiling in the lobby and auditorium.
While the CIBC Theatre has been restored to its classical grandeur, its functionality is entirely new. Inside the theatre, new seats were installed, aisles were reconfigured, and the slope of the orchestra level was adjusted for improved sight lines. The new Theatre marquee and façade, restored in a rigorous process involving over 1,400 recast terra-cotta panels, radiates the energy and excitement of the original building.
In 2006 the restoration was recognized with the prestigious Chicago Landmark Award for Preservation Excellence.
Awards: 2007 Chicago Building Congress Merit Award for Rehab Construction, 2007 Friends of Downtown Best Renovation, Midwest Construction’s Best of 2006