Architecture Sat Jun 28 2008

Louis' Luster Restored, Update

We had written earlier about Louis Tiffany's (middle name: Comfort) dome in the Chicago Cultural Center. The restoration is nearly complete. In addition to the mass amounts of silver and gold leaf work, each piece of crystal-embedded glass is being cleaned, repairs or, if needed, replaced. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the project is that the dome will glow from natural sunlight beaming through it.

While the restoration will reveal the dome in its original light, the effort has revealed truth behind an old myth. Rumors have long circulated the city that the dome was encased in concrete to prevent internal illumination glowing during World War II "black-outs". Research discovered that the dome was enclosed because of engineers' concerns for water leakage damaging the buildings interior.

Check out some amazing progress pictures here!

- Carl Giometti