LILLSTREET ART CENTER

Renovation of Factory to Create an Art Center / Chicago, Illinois

Lillstreet Art Center renovated the first floor of this three-story concrete frame industrial building (the space had been a metal gear factory) in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago. This new and larger facility gives Lillstreet 13,000 square feet of space on the first floor and includes gallery space, a cafe, administrative offices and areas for clay working (wheel, tile and hand work) and jewelry making.

The project scope included reglazing the saw-tooth light monitors, upgrades of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and a new handicapped accessible entrance while retaining much of the industrial character of the building's previous use. The second and third floors house classrooms and studio space for artists, architects and other artisans creating a neighborhood center for art and design and saving a handsome industrial building.