OLD TOWN SCHOOL OF FOLK MUSIC
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 1998

With the help of Joni Mitchell and Peter Yarrow, the Old Town School of Folk Music opened their new home in the fall of 1998.  The project entailed the adaptive reuse of a former Chicago library building constructed in 1929.

The new facility comprises approximately 43,000sf of space which includes a new 421-seat performance hall (completed with Morris Architects / Planners), a retail shop ("Different Strummer"), a box office, cafe, and numerous classrooms.  The former Lincoln Park facility has been retained and is used predominantly for children's activities.

We've maintained a collection of early design sketches to illustrate the development of the project.

All photos are courtesy of Steve Hall, Hedrich Blessing. General Contractor was Pepper Construction.

Hall, Main Level

The flat floor area surrounding the stage is normally filled with cafe tables that can be removed for large groups or dance performances.  The bench seating easily accommodates students with guitars during the nightly "Second Half" play-along performance, where over one hundred students and faculty hone their skills together.

Hall, Balcony Level

The 150 seat balcony enjoys intimate site lines to the stage.  In fact, no seat in the 421 seat hall is further from the stage than 45 feet.  A catwalk, seen above, provides easy accessibility to stage lighting. The 1936 WPA mural hung above the proscenium is evident in this view.  The 38 foot long mural was was restored by conservator Rick Strilky, whose shop is located a few blocks away.

Stage

This photo is taken through the sliding backstage doors that are kept open except during performances.  The opening allows the performance hall to be used as a cafe during the normal operating hours.  Windows, shown here with the curtains drawn, encircle the room with daylight.

Different Strummer

The music store's wall of stringed instruments is easily seen from the large show windows on Lincoln Avenue.  The interior glass storefront allows the store to maintain proper humidity for some of the precious guitars, mandolins, and banjos on display.

Gallery

Located in the former printing shop and loading dock for the original library, a gallery space was created that serves numerous functions.  Everything from dance classes, community meetings, banquets, and visual art shows can find a home here. 

Hall, Balcony

Another view of the hall from the balcony above.

Dance Room

The dance room is outfitted with a sprung wood floor, mirrors and ballet bars. Morning sun streams in from the east.

Second Floor Hallway

The second WPA mural was reinstalled in the second floor hallway outside the performance hall.

Facade

Minimal additions were made to existing building facade. Banners, lights and a shallow marquee sit upon the original library building. You can still see the original signage for the library behind the marquee.

Our consultant team on the project included the following:

Theatre Architects: Morris Architects / Planners
Acoustic Consultant: The Talaske Group
Audio Design: Audio Systems Group
Theatrical Lighting Consultant: Schuler & Shook
Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and FP Engineers: WMA Consulting Engineers
Structural Engineers: Thorton-Tomasetti Engineers