10 Stories

143 Guest Rooms

133,375 SF Total

The Silversmith Building was designed by Peter J.  Weber of Burnham and Root in 1896.  As a center for silver merchants who manufactured jewelry and decorative arts, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the few surviving works by Burnham’s firm reflecting the influence of the English Arts and Crafts movement.

The owner wished to renovate the building to a hotel with meeting facilities and ground-floor commercial lease space including a restaurant.  Our response was to retrofit a 143-room boutique hotel with its lobby and meeting rooms on the second floor and guest rooms on floors 3 through 10.  Original interiors had been removed so new interior spaces were designed in the Arts and Crafts style, with dark oak trim and wood work, period reproduction wall coverings and light fixtures, and Stickley-inspired furniture and cabinetry to create a graciously timeless oasis for visitors to Chicago.

Controlling noise from the nearby elevated tracks was a particular concern which had to be balanced with the goal of historic restoration of the façade.  Our solution was to repair or replace in-kind the original wood windows on the exterior while installing new aluminum sash on the interior to provide an air space between the windows for excellent sound control.  New Terra Cotta to replace missing or damaged pieces was cast from new molds to restore the Wabash Street elevation to its original appearance.