A major renovation project at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago has been selected for inclusion in the 2013 American School and University Educational Interiors Showcase, a premier competition honoring interiors excellence.
The panel of Educational Interiors Showcase judges selected 80 projects to be featured in the August issue of American School & University. The John Marshall Law School work was judged in the interior renovation category.
The John Marshall project converted more than 3,600 square feet of first floor retail space into a new student commons, cafeteria and main entrance onto Chicago’s State Street, a main downtown thoroughfare. The new entrance is set off by a glass canopy and students walk into an expansive entryway. A specially-designed glass and steel staircase off the lobby gives students access to the renovated student lounge area on the second floor.
The project came in under the $7 million budget. Once the space was cleared, it took 12 months to execute the renovations, which were carried out by general contractor Bulley & Andrews LLC. The architectural firm was Griskelis Young Harrell Architects of Chicago.
The law school has owned the property at the intersection of Jackson Boulevard and State Street since April 1979 and had occupied the top 11 floors since the 1980s. With an enrollment of more than 1,600 students, the law school needed additional space. Converting the first floor space for law school use gave John Marshall a grand entrance onto Chicago’s Education Corridor and greatly improved its student-centered space.
