Illinois Neuropsychiatric Institute Envelope Restoration

Chicago, IL

The Illinois Neuropsychiatric Institute, part of the University of Illinois Chicago medical campus, was first assessed by AltusWorks in 2008 and again in 2020. Built in 1940 at the former location of the home plate of the Chicago Cubs original ballpark, the building’s design draws inspiration from the structure and anatomy of the brain. Its two towers symbolize the left and right hemispheres, with the central entry representing the brain stem connecting the two. The building is adorned with bas-relief sculpted limestone elements that further extend this theme, depicting spinal cords, brain sections, and the names of pioneering neurologists including Dr. Alois Alzheimer.

After the assessment was complete and the budget established, AltusWorks was awarded a contract to design and administer the repair and restoration of this historic building’s envelope systems as well as explore future equitable accessibility solutions for the main entrance to ensure that the “green path” connecting campus facilities would easily pass through the entry and accommodate a change in elevation.

The $16M restoration program began in 2022 and consists of roof replacement, masonry, terra cotta, and limestone repair and restoration, window and door treatments and replacement, new lightning and fall protection systems, new exterior lighting, a reconstructed monumental entrance, and accessibility improvements. The project is scheduled to be complete in 2025.