Celebrating Preservation Month with Historic Project Updates
May is Preservation Month, and to celebrate we have been featuring some of our preservation projects over on our Instagram. Preservation Month is hosted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and works to spotlight how people and communities are protecting local historic places. In order to wrap up the month, we wanted to share a few updates on preservation and restoration projects that are currently in the design or construction phases.
Lansdowne Theater
Lansdowne Theater is a historic theater that was originally built in 1927 as the largest and grandest building in downtown Lansdowne. The building, which originally housed the last W.W. Kimball Co. theater organ to be installed in the Philadelphia region and is on the National Register of Historic Places, consists of a two-story front section with street level shops and offices above, and a 1,400-seat auditorium.
Recent updates on the construction site include the installation of new plaster detailing to restore parts of the original plasterwork in the main auditorium that was missing or damaged. This is part of the larger restoration of the main auditorium. Other aspects of this revival project include exterior restoration, and a sensitive new addition to house back-of-house spaces. Construction is set to be completed this fall.
College Hall, University of Pennsylvania
Renovations to College Hall’s West Wing at the University of Pennsylvania are also currently underway. College Hall exterior restoration and interior renovations are currently underway and are also expected to be completed in late 2024. College Hall was completed in 1872. College Hall is integral to student life at the University of Pennsylvania. Centrally located and at one time housing all of the University’s functions, the building serves as a historic, symbolic and physical heart of the campus.
The project includes the restoration of the historic serpentine stone façade as well as full sensitive interior renovations. Two phases of the renovation are completed and a third is currently underway. The first phase included temporary stabilization of masonry, windows, and roof to extend the life of the building envelope while funds are raised for finishing the larger restoration. The second phase included life safety improvements such as the installation of fire protection systems and code improvements to egress stairs, as well as renovating the interior to meet contemporary workplace and public functions. Ongoing work includes the addition of fall protection, a new central utility plant, masonry repairs, and window restoration.
Check out this video update of construction from the Fall of 2023.
Worth Hall, Bond Memorial Hall, and the Lodges, Swarthmore College
Another example of current historic preservation work includes the exterior restoration and renovations of Worth Hall, Bond Hall, and the Lodges at Swarthmore College. These historic residence halls were originally designed by noted Philadelphia architects Walter Karcher & Livingston Smith and built between 1924 and 1927.
The exterior restoration and window replacement was completed in early Fall of 2023. We are currently working with Swarthmore to evaluate a range of phasing option for interior renovations of the buildings. The study will consider program impacts, utility and MEP/FP system upgrades, additional envelope upgrades, as well as logistics, schedule and cost. The interior renovations, anticipated to begin in Summer 2025, will include a full interior reconfiguration of Worth Hall to create suite-style living for 64 residents, as well as a common room for gathering and socializing in the Lodges. The renovation will preserve the unique historic building complex that contributes much to Swarthmore’s campus character.
