From the former Berwyn Theatre… to a swanky new home in Evanston! The process of salvaging one-of-a-kind materials for adaptive reuse is at the very core of our business. We’ve been reclaiming common brick and lots of other masonry goodies since way back in 1968! Although it was heartbreaking to see the namesake movie palace of Berwyn, Illiniois demolished in 1990, we were fortunate to have an opportunity to salvage most of its gorgeous terracotta facade. The decorative pieces have been chilling in our warehouse for thirty years, but recently emerged as the perfect fit for a renovation project at 1014 Davis Street.
The team at LG Construction is currently finishing up the process of remodeling this former stereo shop into a two-story daycare facility. The scope of work has included a thorough restoration of the street-facing elevation, including removal of glass block windows, replacement of the fenestration throughout, and taking down the old awning. These much-needed measures revealed the glazed terracotta original to the 1924 building, most of which was able to be cleaned up and left in place! However, several damaged segments required replacement… and it just so happened that our Berwyn Theatre pieces fit the bill perfectly. They even date to the same year! We were thrilled to provide four floral tiles, a little over two dozen “water table” lintels, and some 8″ white glazed brick for this building makeover. We even provided design guidance and elevation mockups for approval by the city & ownership. Can you tell these sorts of historic projects are our jam?!
Stay tuned for more photos of this wonderful work in progress. And, if your next project is in need of some vintage terracotta… you know who to call!
LOCATION: 1014 Davis St, Evanston, IL 60201
ARCHITECT: Soos Architects
GC: LG Construction
PRODUCTS SUPPLIED: Reclaimed terracotta, 8″ white glazed brick
