Chintz Room, Lazarus Building, Columbus, Ohio
Retrofit Team
Architect: M+A Architects, Columbus
Contractor: Danis Building Construction Co., Dublin, Ohio
Materials
Thermoformed ceiling panels contribute to the elegant ambiance of the 100-plus-year-old building. The lightweight panels are made from rigid vinyl, just 0.030-inch thick. They are easy to install in a conventional suspended ceiling grid and, with optional backers, can provide noise reduction as high as 0.85 NRC. The panels are washable and fiber-free to comply with FDA and USDA requirements for food-preparation areas.
Ceilume’s Madison panels were used to create nearly 3-inch-deep coffers and are paired with Oxford panels around the border. Thermoformed ceilings are available in many styles and colors, plus translucent and clear panels, to suit any decorative scheme.
Thermoformed Ceiling Panels Manufacturer: Ceilume
The Retrofit
Memories are on the menu at the revitalized Chintz Room. Generations of Columbus residents remember eating in the classy dining room of the F&R Lazarus Department Stop. After the store closed in the 1990s, the space remained vacant until the building was reimagined as a hub for innovative businesses and downtown renewal. Now reopened as a bistro, the Chintz Room resurrects favorites recipes, such as chicken salad, cheddar cheese soup and celery dressing. It is decorated with mannequins and memorabilia from the store’s history and illuminated with light fixtures salvaged from the building and other city landmarks.
Lori Bongiorno, RA, LEED AP, director of M+A Architects’ Commercial Studio, explains the decision to use thermoformed ceiling panels was influenced by photos of the 1952 remodeling that used wall panels with a relief motif. “Budget was also a concern,” she says. “The thermoformed panels look good and no one can tell they aren’t authentic plaster or wood mouldings.”
In addition to looking back in time, the facility also looks forward. For example, the Lazarus Building renovations earned LEED Gold certification. In line with that goal, the thermoformed ceiling panels are recyclable and GREENGUARD Gold certified for indoor air quality.
Restaurant Co-owner Michael Hermick has had only positive remarks from customers. “They like the three-dimensional panels. The ceiling looks really great, especially with shadows from light entering through the high storefront windows.”
PHOTO: Ceilume