Preston Bradley Hall

Opened in 1897, the Chicago Cultural Center originally served as Chicago’s first central public library and as a memorial hall and meeting space for Civil War veterans. Designed primarily under the direction of Charles Allerton Coolidge of the Boston architectural firm Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge, the building combines Neoclassical architecture with Italian Renaissance influences.

Mosaics feature prominently throughout the building’s richly decorated interiors, selected in part for their durability and ease of cleaning. Elaborate glass mosaics adorn upper wall friezes, arches, stairways, and the south dome. Many were fabricated as mosaic-inlaid plaster panels at Tiffany Studios in New York, transported to Chicago, and installed using traditional ornamental plaster techniques. Among the building’s most magnificent spaces is the former library delivery room, now known as Preston Bradley Hall.

In 2023, EverGreene conducted a visual and tactile condition assessment of select mosaic elements throughout the building, including areas of marble flooring and Tiffany glass mosaics along the third-floor landing, corridors, and Preston Bradley Hall. Conservators examined and sounded the surfaces to evaluate their condition and identify potential subsurface deterioration, documenting findings on 3D scans. The investigation revealed that environmental factors and building settlement had compromised the stability of the mosaics, leaving areas vulnerable to delamination, detachment, and material loss.

In 2025, EverGreene returned to Preston Bradley Hall for further investigation and treatment testing to develop appropriate methodologies for a comprehensive conservation program. Work focused on the southwest corner of the east room and the southeast corner of the central dome. Select sections were carefully removed to examine the underlying wall assemblies and assess structural conditions.