CHAPTER 7: ANALYSIS

EXTERIOR

Following the historic district zoning regulations, any new additions must mimic the original height of a building.  To comply with this regulation, the new west addition rises four floors above the ground, with an additional two levels of outdoor patios.  The remaining portion of the northern wall transitions to the new addition through a vertical garden tower, formed by a double-paned curtain wall system and structural elements to support it.  Acting as a sort of “billboard” for the building’s purpose is a whimsical façade screen attached to the upper floors of the vertical garden which creates the illusion of an abstracted hops flower emerging from the ruins.  This façade screen is constructed with panels whose structures are formed with steel tubing, which is affixed with square glass panels that are bolted to the steel tubing.  This method gives the appearance of curved glass panes without the difficulties in manufacturing. 

View of northwest corner at dusk, with accent lighting to highlight the layered brick surfaces of the existing walls.

View of northeast corner; the existing chain-link gate would be replaced with an ornamental replica that provides the same level of security.  For the Malt Kiln, deliveries would be taken at the rear door, with trucks being allowed through the gate by staff.  Perhaps a loading dock is more ideal, but working within the confines of an existing footprint may not always allow all of the “ideals.”  Many businesses and restaurants in urban areas manage to operate in this fashion, so it is not expected to be a major inhibitor to success.

Broad view of site for context, from the west.

The vertical garden acts as a neutral background in connecting the new west addition to the remaining brick walls.  The jagged brick edges contrast the new smooth, modern forms, and create a dynamic layering of visual interest.  The existing walls followed a pattern of detailed brickwork and windows, though not all places where windows would be expected are fitted with windows.  For this thesis, it is intended to fill in the gaps and complete the pattern of windows so that visitors may enjoy the highest amount of natural light possible.  For these windows, historical replicas will be created so that they visually match the original window components. 

Place-marking LEMP letters at the base of the Vertical Garden

Moving to the east, a second building addition sits on top of what was carefully deconstructed in the aftermath of the collapse on the east side of the building, matching the design language of the west addition, and rising to the same height as the roof line on the north.  This section is capped with a parapet up to the top of the remaining brick wall to help conceal the root top equipment.   Windows in both new additions translate the pattern of existing windows to a more minimalistic theme, but clearly demonstrate similar proportions.  The new additions are clad in “nearly black”   composite panels (Nichiha or similar) with minimal accents of white glazed brick and natural-look wood or wood-look bands.  These finishes intend to complement and highlight the beautiful brickwork, instead of distracting from it.  The black cladding creates a contrasting backdrop that makes the brick stand out.

At the south side of the building, the vertical travel zone rises above the roof to allow stair and elevator access to the roof per IBC requirements.  These walls are constructed with concrete masonry units (CMU) so that the stairways, especially, can act as areas of refuge in case of a fire.  The exterior of the CMU will be  clad with the same black cladding as the other portions of new construction.

VERTICAL GARDEN

With exception of the first floor of the vertical garden which is utilized as a semi-private tasting room, each level above in this section are designed similarly.  Each level has an access point through a telescoping automatic sliding door with an air curtain to help control temperature in the garden tower as well as the rest of the space.  In Appendix D, each level is shown with a unique layout of planting areas and staircases, to demonstrate that a variety of layouts are possible.  For these areas, a consultant would be hired to ensure that the space is maximized in order to be a benefit to the community as intended.  The purpose of the vertical garden is to make fresh produce available year-round in a location that is a short walk from many local residents for which traveling to further away supermarkets is a burden.  The vertical garden is meant to be shown off, and would be an excellent setting for the community to learn how to garden on their own through demonstrations.  Perhaps small plots could be rented to individuals for personal use, or a staff garden team would oversee the production and could organize produce sale days throughout the year.  Various growing methods could be utilized, such as hydroponics, aeroponics, or traditional soil.  In addition to growing produce, special planters would be installed that punch through multiple floors to grow hops that could be utilized in the microbrewing that happens on-site.  These planters would allow each hops rhizome to have a three foot diameter space for roots, and a textured trellis cable would rise twenty-five feet above to guide each plant.

View inside vertical garden, looking towards the Benton Park neighborhood to the north

These garden areas require many technical considerations to ensure success.  Floors will be covered in a water-resistant, non-slip floor covering, and will have trench drains placed at various points on each floor, which will be tied into a water recycling system for reuse.  Basic water supplies will be provided at each floor, including a utility sink and a hose spigot.  Additionally, integrated watering systems will be installed, tailored to the selected growing methods and locations of plants.  The garden tower will receive more direct sunlight than most other areas of the building, but efficient LED grow lights will be installed to add supplemental lighting on cloudy or shorter days, and will be controlled by a daylighting system that will automatically adjust the amount of light output based on the real-time sunlight being received.  Because the exterior of the garden tower is glass, it is anticipated that it will accumulate heat as desired, but a mechanical system will still service the area to provide supplemental heating and cooling, as well as general air flow to prevent mold and fungus.  Lockable storage cabinets could be strategically placed on each level for ease of access to typical gardening tools. 

While the main purpose of the garden is a useful one, it should be emphasized that it will be a biophillic haven that gives visitors a sense of calming and peace.  The hops façade screen will be further abstracted so that it can be carried to the inside of the vertical garden tower, and will cascade down through each level of the garden, terminating just inside the private tasting room on the first floor.  Pendant accent lights will be comingled with the cascading cable-hung glass panels to create a high level of visual interest in the non-daylight operating hours when sunlight is not available.  An industrial-type space should be functional, but that does not mean it cannot also be beautiful.

LOWER LEVELS 1 & 2

View of length of cellar compartment, which runs east to west underneath the Malt Kiln. Photo courtesy of Jason Gray, https://hoursofidleness.wordpress.com/about/

The cellar compartments are joined by arches in the thick stone walls. This grouping of cellar compartments begins at the street (north) side of the Malt Kiln, and continues approximately to the end of the adjacent building. In this view, the arches are along a north-south axis, though it is uncertain which direction the camera is facing. Photo courtesy of Jason Gray

Lower Level 2 is the lowest level in the building with a finish floor height of roughly fourty-five feet below the ground level.  For the purposes of this thesis, it was concluded that the finish floor height of Lower Level 1 is roughly twenty-nine feet below ground level, with roughly three and a half feet between this level and the tallest point of the level below.  Presently, the only access to these two levels is via stairs which are located in another portion of the same block of buildings that the Malt Kiln is located.  With the addition of the vertical travel zone to serve all floors of the Malt Kiln, it was decided that access should extend to the lower level cellars as well.  The Malt Kiln would incorporate the three northernmost vaults on each level, leaving the remaining four per level “as-is” with exception to accessibility upgrades.  To ensure visitors could not freely access restricted areas, gates with panic hardware and alarm systems would be installed to separate the Malt Kiln’s vaults from the rest, while not completely disrupting the lines of sight.

The current property owners presently restrict access to these areas, mainly for safety reasons.  In combination with the addition of new vertical travel and modernizing and repairing the existing access stairs, the cellars can be enjoyed by all.  It has been concluded that these cellars are constructed with a combination of stone and brick in conjunction with the bedrock layer of earth providing a folid foundation for Lower Level 2 as well as the perimeter walls.  It is likely that more information is needed in order to move forward, such as carrying out a geotechnical survey, in order to verify that the above structure is appropriately designed and to verify the stated finish floor levels.  These cellars could fulfil a wide variety of purposes, from storage to event space to exhibition space.  As the only remaining access point to the Lemp Cave is located in the cellars, it is proposed that with the cellars now easily accessible and safe, the cave could be open to the public in a controlled manner.

It has been reiterated many times in this thesis that the preservation of a historic, meaningful building is the basis for this project.  At first glance, it might appear that the work proposed in the cellars is far too destructive to be considered as historic “preservation”.  However, these mysterious cellars are currently hidden away and serve no useful purpose other than being seen on occasion by guests of the property owners.  This author believes that by interfering with a small portion of the existing cellars, this portion of the project would bring great enjoyment to a large amount of people and would leave these areas largely unaltered.  This work would allow the cellars to be useful once more, and would bring even greater visibility to the historic significance of the brewery complex by allowing visitors to fully experience these incredible architectural features.

COMMONALITIES

Each level starting at Level 1 share the vertical travel zone, which consists of one elevator shaft housing two general use elevator cabs, one elevator shaft housing a service elevator, two egress stairwells, two accessible single-user restrooms, and a small storage closet.  The service elevator will be restricted by a pass key system, but all other areas of this space are open to any user.  These spaces are identical from floor to floor, and will not be detailed in the following narratives. 

The material palette throughout the building is meant to evoke images of both nature and industry.  Various shades of green connect the vertical garden to the original green brick present in many of the other brewery buildings.  Various shades and textures of gold emulate the hues of beer.  Neutral “background” colors highlight the carefully thought-out accents.  The historic brick walls are the star of the show, though in their fragile condition will require cosmetic stabilization which will come in the form of black metal strapping running both vertically and horizontally and will be placed according to need.

Lighting is utilized to set the mood, and varies from room to room.  Soft, ambient lighting is provided in areas meant for relaxation and enjoyment, while lighting in spaces such as the offices or the vertical garden is designed for utility.  Accent lighting doubles as way-finding and visual enjoyment.  It is intended that even the areas meant to have softer lighting would have general overhead lighting that could be activated outside of business hours for tasks like cleaning and maintenance, but in general would be carefully controlled to support the intended guest experience.

In order to fully realize the vision of this thesis it was important to include various interior design elements, many of which are an homage to the original vision of grandeur which Adam and William J. Lemp incorporated into their original buildings, and some are direct interpretations of the brewing process.   The pipes that connected many of the brewery process at the Lemp Brewery inspired custom railings and space boundaries.  The desire to utilize reclaimed materials from derelict buildings on the property resulted in creative floor features.  Décor exhibits the Lemp family’s name and vision, proudly exclaiming that this building is “theirs.”

Approach to the seating area on Level 5; Neon (LED strips) lights are added to similar elements on each floor as a sort of way-finding tool.

LEVEL 1 – (STREET LEVEL)

Grand Entrance, from north doors

To enter the building, visitors can utilize one of three sets of double doors which lead into the Grand Entrance space.  Guests are immediately drawn to the grand staircase leading to the level above, sitting on top of a “shadow box” floor where reclaimed materials from the brewery are highlighted with strip lighting.  The floor construction allows for a smooth and level floor so that no barriers to access are present.  The grand staircase’s spiraled form centers on a custom accent chandelier shaped like a hops flower, the first sign of the décor theme inspired by brewing beer.  The walls are finished with painted green and glazed white brick, a nod at the original interior finishes in many other brewery buildings.  The staircase is bordered by a railing on its smaller radius which mimics the brewery piping installed throughout the brewery (another décor theme which appears throughout the building), and by a wall constructed from bricks salvaged from the Malt Kiln’s collapse and supported by a combination of metal mesh and structural extrusions. 

Past the grand staircase, visitors can enter the original footprint of the Malt Kiln through the original entrance to the building, which remains standing despite the building’s collapse.  The door panel is removed, and a three-foot-wide framed opening remains.  Passage through the original entrance leads to a general circulation lobby, where visitors can take the elevator to the upper or lower floors, step into the private tasting room, or continue on to the lounge.  The private tasting room offers a bar setup as well as various options for seating, and offers a glimpse up into the vertical garden, with views of the garden’s cascading sculptural glass panels terminating just above the seating area. 

Private tasting room, facetiously named “The Beer Garden”

The lounge offers various types of fixed and moveable seating, in intimate clusters.  Halfway up the double-height north wall of the lounge is a replica of a sign that was once proudly displayed in the Lemp Brewery Bottling Department, reading “The Most Modern Establishment In The World.”  The brewery pipes appear at the perimeters of the lounge seating, creating a clear spatial border without closing any areas off.  West of the lounge is a bar service area, settled inside of the only remaining kiln structure (the second kiln was a victim of the collapse).  Behind the bar is a storage area, which also houses the sprinkler risers, and to the north of the bar is the electrical and data service room.  Southeast of the bar is an egress door leading to the exterior at ground level.

View of the lounge to the left, “Lemp’s Kiln” bar at the rear, and the eccentric “Lemp’s Cave” sign which acts as wayfinding to the lower levels.

Additional view of the Lounge and bar, Level 1.

Additional view of the Lounge, Level 1.  Electrical conduit is seen mounted to the face of the brick not simply out of necessity, but as a design statement.  The Brewery in its height was littered with piping running throughout the complex, which carried essential ingredients for the brewing process.  While the same piping is not necessary in this project, it solidifies a sort of industrial-chic aesthetic.

LEVEL 1A

Level 1A does not span the entire footprint of the total building.  In the west addition, it follows the east and south walls, and is connected to the first floor via the grand staircase.  At the south wall, an open area bordered by a brewery pipe railing contains space for a small exhibit collection to give a small taste of the Lemp legacy.  To the east, access to the vertical garden is granted through an automatic sliding door in the vertical garden’s glass perimeter.  Visitors can choose to bypass the vertical garden and pass between the southern vertical garden wall and the elevators, where they would find a mezzanine overlooking the lounge, with comfortable, more quiet seating.  The freight elevator and south stairwell are not accessible from this floor.

Level 1A Mezzanine, overlooking the Lounge

LEVEL 2

Level 2 is home to most of the more private spaces.  It is relatively centrally located for the kitchen to distribute food, but it is still lower to the ground and does not offer the best views to the outside that would be desired by visitors.  In the west addition, six offices border the addition’s perimeter, and a storage closet is provided for office use.  Two areas of informal seating are provided for the office area, for situations where clients or guests might need seating to wait for appointments.  Moving to the east, a cluster of kitchen and brewery spaces are centered on the floor, including an employee break room, preparation kitchen, walk-in freezer, walk-in cooler, and beer keg storage that has shelving for fifty-six standard kegs and a workspace area in its center.   The kitchen is strategically placed so that employees have a short but direct path of travel to reach the freight elevator, which provides a direct path of travel to the staging room for the event space on the third floor, or provides access to other floors that might require food distribution.

Level 2 Lobby, view of the vertical garden looking towards the offices

LEVEL 3

                Level 3 is a dedicated event space.  The entire floor, with exception of the vertical garden section, can be reserved for various events such as weddings, corporate events, and parties.  At the west addition, a “four seasons” room provides great views of the Lemp Brewery complex as well as the historic surrounding neighborhoods.  Large windows are fitted with removable thick vinyl sheeting which seals the building envelope in cold weather, but allows natural breezes during warmer months for a “patio” feel. 

Four Seasons room on Level 3, shown set up to host a private event

On the east end, the large open hall occupies the majority of the existing footprint and allows furniture to be configured to meet the needs of the specific event (which can be relocated elsewhere, such as to the cellars, if some or all pieces are not required.)  A service bar is provided on the southeast corner of the hall, which shares a wall with the concealed food staging room.  Staff can bring food directly into the staging room from the freight elevator, which can then be distributed to the event space via a door which is tucked away out of view, allowing for minimal disturbance to guests. 

Looking towards the four seasons room on Level 3, dubbed "The Black Dahlia Room" after the formation in the Lemp cave.

Level 3 main event space, including the “photo-op” neon “Malt Kiln” sign and an accent wall of three-dimensional gold panels

The private event space on Level 3, daytime.  Inspiration was taken from Sklo Lighting’s “Lasso” chandelier, which is reminiscent of the flexible tubing that is often utilized in transferring liquids in the brewing process. 

LEVEL 4

Sitting on top of the west addition is an open-air patio, with panoramic views of the brewery complex and surrounding historic neighborhoods.  The north half of the patio is open-air, and the south half is covered by the patio on Level 5.  The perimeter of this patio is formed with the west addition’s parapet wall terminating, and a metal mesh panel system continues up to allow line-of-sight to the surrounding neighborhoods while offering a level of privacy for guests.  Following the theme of incorporating the Lemp family’s name throughout the complex, at the northwest corner of this panel system, white mesh panels are configured among the typical black panels to spell out “L E M P,” wrapping from the north wall to the west, a subtle “easter egg.”  An automatic sliding door with an air curtain leads to the interior, where a host stand is located along with a few seating options in case of a long wait in the dining room. 

The Malt Kiln, northwest corner, daytime. "LEMP" letters visible in Level 4 patio enclosure

Outdoor Patios on Levels 4 & 5, daytime

Outdoor Patios on Levels 4 & 5, dusk

The dining room is divided from the waiting area by a low wall made of bricks reclaimed from the collapse, similar to the entrance to the exhibit space on Level 5 discussed previously.  Brewery pipes accentuate structural cross bracing that runs through this wall to accentuate the  structure is such an integral part of this project.  Past the feature wall is the main seating area where guests can order from a menu of local eats and can also enjoy beer brewed on-site as well as from other breweries.  Bier-hall-style tables encourage socializing among guests.  Past these tables, the ceiling opens up to allow views to the floors above, where the brewing tanks are on display above the bar.  The main bar sits at the east end of this level, and behind it is a secure bar storage closet.  To the north of the bar, a staircase leads to the brewing equipment on Level 5, and is provided with the intent that any curious visitors could be granted the opportunity to get up close to see the brew houses under the supervision of an employee or in a guided tour. 

Looking towards the bar on Level 4, with the brew houses overhead

LEVEL 5

At the very top of the west addition sits a second patio, covering about half of the level below and cantilevering out so that its southern edge is aligned with the southern wall of the vertical travel core.  A small bar area will be provided on the patio.  Inside, the central section of this floor holds additional seating which overlooks the bar on Level 4 as well as the brewing equipment.  This seating can serve as a multi-purpose area, with the potential to be available for smaller events or to facilitate educational events related to the vertical garden or the brewing process.  A catwalk leads from the seating area to the brewing platform with plenty of space to maneuver around the tanks. 

Due to the limited space in this building, the ideal brewing setup would be similar to what the company SmartBrew offers, which are self-contained tank systems requiring minimal additional equipment and processing.  If this system is purchased, two “6X5BBL” systems would be recommended – one for Level 5, and one for Level 6.  Each system requires a four inch floor drain, single phase power (208/230V AC) for the system and the glycol chiller, as well as water supply, air, CO2, and an internet connection.   Each system could produce up to one hundred twenty kegs per month if utilized fully. 

From the seating area on Level 5 looking towards the elevators and entrance to the outdoor patio

Looking north from the brew house platform on Level 5 towards the seating areas on Levels 4 & 5, with a view of the Lemp name embedded into the brick as it once was on the smokestack

Birdseye view from the southwest corner of the building, where the cantilevered pation on Level 5 is sitting atop a mural of an old version of the Lemp logo

LEVEL 6

Level 6 holds a special exhibit space which overlooks the fourth floor bar, as well as the brewing equipment on Levels 5 & 6.  This will be an open area so that memorabilia and artifacts can be rotated through the exhibit.  Due to the positioning of the existing windows, this level received less natural light from the north side than other floors, which is a positive thing when considering that sunlight can cause damage and aging to the exhibit artifacts.  Similar to Level 5, the brewing platform is accessed via catwalk along the south side of the space, although no stairs are offered to connect to the floor below aside from the adjacent egress stairs.

Approach to the Exhibit Space on Level 6

ROOF    

       

The roof is accessed via egress stair 13 as well as the freight elevator.  The rooftop is intended to be restricted from the public, as it will hold the rooftop heating and cooling units (RTUs), any freezer or cooler condensers and racks, and exhaust vents and fans.  A rain collection system will be installed on a portion of the roof to recycle and distribute rainwater for the vertical garden .  Catchment panels will collect rainwater and with the help of a pump, water will be routed to a storage tank on the roof.  Water lines will run down from the tank through the height of the vertical garden, and at each floor a regulating valve will control the water pressure at each supply location.  It is intended that this water would only be utilized to water plants growing in the vertical garden, and would not be supplied anywhere else in the building.  A structural engineer would be hired to assess the structural calculations for the proposed rooftop equipment to ensure that the weight was properly supported. 

Rainwater recycling system concept sketch

NOTE:

In the original thesis document that was submitted to Southern Illinois University, Appendix F contained an additional grouping of renderings that I wanted to include with the submittal but did not feel added impact in the Analysis chapter. For the purposes of this website, I have added those additional renderings to this post so that everything is together.