Santa Fe Center

(Railway Exchange Building)

Commercial
Terra Cotta Façade Rehabilitation
224 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL
Originally Built in 1904

The compressive forces within the terra cotta were a cause for concern at the busy intersection of Michigan Avenue and Jackson Street.
The dismantled terra cotta reveals under-lying steel, which the window head pieces are suspended from.
Three terra cotta corners were completely rebuilt, including new brick back-up masonry, rehabilitation of the under-lying steel column and the installation of a new uni-strut anchoring system to hold the new terra cotta in place.
Central employees ride swing stage scaffolds up the façade.

The Santa Fe Center, which was built in 1904 as the Railway Exchange Building by D.H. Burnham & Co., is a 17-story building clad in glazed white terra cotta. Central Building & Preservation worked closely with structural engineers and devised a cost-effective structural system for the terra cotta at the corners of the building. Additionally, the terra cotta facades were restored on the Michigan Avenue and Jackson Boulevard elevations. The Santa Fe Center now stands as a gleaming example of a successful masonry restoration on the notable “street wall” of Michigan Avenue.