Ramova Theatre, Salt Shed, other historic local buildings win preservation award

Four local buildings have been honored as exceptional examples of historic preservation in Chicago, receiving the 2024 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award.

Local recipients include the Ramova Theatre, the Salt Shed, The Terminal, and the former Lawson House. Each building was adaptively restored to maintain its historic design.

The Ramova Theatre and the Salt Shed have been converted into popular entertainment destinations. The former Lawson House has been outfitted with 400 new apartment units and affordable housing, and The Terminal has been reimagined as a sprawling research facility.

Historic preservation in Chicago serves as a form of sustainable development that protects the city’s cultural heritage and time-honored aesthetic identity. Preservation initiatives ensure that some of Chicago’s most important cultural touchstones are protected from redevelopment and conserved for future generations.

The Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards honor these preservation efforts across Illinois. This year’s awards specifically honored adaptive reuse projects in Chicago and other locations statewide. A public ceremony will be held in October honoring those involved in the restoration and preservation projects.

“Our 2024 award winners exemplify the creativity and passion people have for safeguarding our historic places and the stories they tell,” said Bonnie McDonald, President & CEO of Landmarks Illinois.

“Their work inspires us and others across the state to think boldly about how our built environment can adapt throughout time to serve the community and spark local economic development. These award winners deserve our recognition not only for the countless hours they poured into these projects but for ensuring places of our past live on and continue to enhance our future.”