Imprinting Architectural Heritage into the Streets

By Gabriel Pineda, marketing manager, IPCC

In consultation with the City of Chicago, Loyola and Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects established intersection design components. These are designed to optimize the road from a pedestrian safety standpoint while incorporating a distinctive Art Deco aesthetic drawn from Loyola?EUR??,,????'?????< Images courtesy of Integrated Paving Concepts

The Lake Shore Campus of Loyola University in Chicago is a collection of historic and contemporary buildings with dramatic views to Lake Michigan. This historic campus on Chicago’s north shore is a city ’Crown Jewel’ valued as an important representation of Art Deco architecture. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a prime example of mature Art Deco design.

Loyola’s ornate limestone Mundelein Hall Building is one of the University’s architectural treasures. Mundelein Hall, also called the Skyscraper building, was once the tallest building in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood. In 2001 the limestone cladding on the hall underwent a restoration program that addressed decades of wear since its construction in 1928. More recently, Loyola has embarked on an ambitious 5-year plan to both expand as well as improve the existing campus.

Fast installation is a very attractive feature of inlaid thermoplastic decorative treatments. Disruptions to traffic, businesses, institutions, residents and other stakeholders are minimal. In most cases installation of one lane is complete in 90 minutes.

Intersection improvements were recently completed on the adjacent very high-traffic Sheridan Road. Not only is Sheridan Road busy with vehicular traffic, it also intersects important pedestrian corridors between the school and adjacent student housing.

In consultation with the City of Chicago, Loyola and Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects established intersection design components. These are designed to optimize the road from a pedestrian safety standpoint while incorporating a distinctive Art Deco aesthetic drawn from Loyola’s architectural history. It presents a gracious welcome to those approaching the campus from downtown.

The design of the intersection is largely based on decorative motifs found in the Mundelein Hall building. The outer edge of the decorative intersection is made up of a repetitive pattern that can be easily identified on the Mundelein Hall building. This motif was chosen by the designing landscape architects as a unifying design element used on both Loyola Chicago campuses, Lake Shore Campus and Water Tower Campus.

The uniquely formulated inlaid thermoplastic holds up to challenging traffic and weather conditions and requires minimal maintenance. Maintenance is a simple routine: power washing will bring new life to the colors of the streetscape design. Another advantage of using inlaid decorative thermoplastic is the resulting virtually vibration free surface that makes it ADA compliant and eliminates trip hazards.

Loyola and the City of Chicago chose DuraTherm™ for the intersection project because of its design flexibility and durability characteristics. It is a decorative asphalt surfacing system designed specifically for high-traffic areas. It is a thermoplastic material that is inlaid into imprinted asphalt and installed flush with the surface. As a result it withstands high traffic environments and resists snow plow damage. This inlaid thermoplastic lasts considerably longer than other surface-laid thermoplastics.

The durability of this decorative material helps streetscape designs maintain their bold look for many years. The uniquely formulated inlaid thermoplastic holds up to challenging traffic and weather conditions and requires minimal maintenance. Maintenance is a simple routine: power washing will bring new life to the colors of the streetscape design. Another advantage of using inlaid decorative thermoplastic is the resulting virtually vibration free surface that makes it ADA compliant and eliminates trip hazards.

The design of the intersection is largely based on decorative motifs found in the Mundelein Hall building. The outer edge of the decorative intersection is made up of a repetitive pattern that can be easily identified on the Mundelein Hall building.

Fast installation is a very attractive feature of inlaid thermoplastic decorative treatments. Disruptions to traffic, businesses, institutions, residents and other stakeholders are minimal. In most cases installation of one lane is complete in 90 minutes. The lane can then be open to high traffic volumes within minutes after the installation. There is no need to close streets in their entirety as traffic can be directed through one lane while the installation crew works on another.

Design and engineering support staff from Integrated Paving Concepts Inc. collaborated with Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects in the selection of components that were consistent with the design vision and historic architecture and ensured that the design was viable from a technical standpoint.

The Art Deco legacy of Chicago’s Loyola University not only endures but grows, nourished by elegant design concepts and decorative materials that withstand the rigors of modern cosmopolitan life while providing design flexibility.