Altgeld stone cleaning

Altgeld Glow Up: Generations of Dirt Cleaned From Eons-old Stone

When you’re as old as Altgeld Hall, you deserve a nice cleansing scrub. The stony skin of the building dates to as far back as 1896, after all, and a lot of history, and other gunk, has built up on the stone. Even a U of I student’s thesis from more than 50 years ago notes the coloration change. Roughly hewn, randomly placed hard pink … Continue reading Altgeld Glow Up: Generations of Dirt Cleaned From Eons-old Stone

Illini Hall demolition

Demo Work Kickstarts Years-Long Renovation Plan for Illini and Altgeld Halls

Better get a good peek now, because soon, Illini Hall will be gone. First erected in 1907 as the official University of Illinois YMCA across Wright Street from the venerable Main Quad, Illini Hall is in the process of demolition and replacement. By the end of February 2023 or so, it’ll be gone. This action also starts the clock on work coming for its cross-street … Continue reading Demo Work Kickstarts Years-Long Renovation Plan for Illini and Altgeld Halls

Artist Cynthia Miller with F&S Carpenters Curtis Wayne and Jed Brummer

Capital Programs, Carpenters Complete Artist’s ‘Vision’

Talbot Laboratory, home to the Grainger College of Engineering, now hosts a 39-piece art display from a University of Illinois graduate. Artist Cynthia Miller specializes in copper enameling and is extremely appreciative of the effort it took to install, which included F&S in both planning and execution. Miller’s work, called ‘Cosmic Vision,’ is large-scale—nearly twice as large as anything she has made—and is featured in … Continue reading Capital Programs, Carpenters Complete Artist’s ‘Vision’

Big Plans Ahead

Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Daniel Burnham, legendary architect: Plan of Chicago, 1892 World’s Columbian … Continue reading Big Plans Ahead