The team turned to more affordable contemporary options that are aesthetically comparable alternatives to traditional materials. For instance, recyclable and durable polymeric slate roof tiles proved cost effective and low maintenance but achieved the required aesthetic.
Rohde adds, “When you look at the roof, you can see subtle color changes based on your position and the position of the sun.”
Tuckpointing brought another difficulty—upgrades needed to match the station’s mortar color and joint style. The team created and inspected mock-ups on smaller wall sections before proceeding with the whole wall.
“We didn’t replace any stone because we knew we wouldn’t be able to find an exact match,” Rohde notes. “The true focus was on joint repair. That’s why the walls still appear weathered, which adds to the historic charm of the station.”
Design-sensitive Accessibility
The village also tasked the team with meeting modern standards for accessibility without undermining the station’s design.
The solution came in removing the steps in front of the station and redesigning the grades to create a seamless route leading to the front door. A gently sloping sidewalk (instead of a ramp) that rises toward the entry echoes the arches and follows suit with the station’s symmetrical design.
Functional Art
The Village of La Grange, which has appeared in Chicago magazine’s “Best Places to Live” and “Best Downtown” lists, thrives on community and tradition. This September, for instance, the 22nd annual West End Arts Festival brings together artists, ranging from musicians and dancers to woodworkers and jewelry makers. The facility that sets the backdrop for this always popular event is the Stone Avenue Train Station.
Last year, the station became one of only nine projects in Illinois to earn a Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award from Landmarks Illinois, a nonprofit that supports preservation of historic places in Illinois.
“The Stone Avenue Train Station’s restoration is a model project demonstrating a community’s value for its civic infrastructure,” remarks Landmarks Illinois President and CEO Bonnie McDonald. “Unique and noteworthy is the pantheon of partners that coalesced around the importance of its reuse.”
Jeannine McLaughlin, past president of the La Grange Area Historical Society, adds: “Many appreciate the station’s history and its contribution to the growth of the village. Others appreciate the station’s distinctive design, its dominating roofline, and the grace and beauty of the arches that beckon one to enter. But to most, the newly renovated station is, very simply, lovely to look at and, like a treasured piece of art, it enriches our lives while serving the transportation needs of thousands of commuters on a daily basis.”
PHOTOS: Legat Architects
Retrofit Team
Architect: Legat Architects, Chicago
General Contractor: Boller Construction Co. Inc., Waukegan, Ill.
Landscape Architect: Hitchcock Design Group, Chicago
Civil Engineer: Baxter & Woodman, Chicago
Materials
Roof Shingles: Valore Slate synthetic slate roof tiles from DaVinci Roofscapes
Interior Chandeliers: OCL Architectural Lighting
Outside Lighting: Sternberg Lighting
Stone-cleaning Products: PROSOCO