Rubens Rialto Square Theatre
Restoration of the historic movie palace known as the “Jewel of Joliet.”
Preservation Architects and Architectural Historians as JLK are working with the Will County Metropolitan Exposition and Auditorium Authority (WCMEAA) to repair and renovate the historic Rubens Rialto Square Theatre (1926) in downtown Joliet, Illinois.
Before project planning and design, JLK conducted historic research and building assessments to understand existing conditions and the building’s character-defining materials, features, and spaces. JLK is leading all project phases and coordination with each discipline. Initial renovation phases include complete roof replacement of nine different pitched and flat roofs of varying ages and types and repairs to existing exterior masonry walls. The theater’s HVAC system will also receive critical and sensitive upgrades. Later phases include fire suppression upgrades within the orante, 1,966-seat theater space.
JLK is ensuring that all aspects of the work follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The work balances the preservation of historic integrity, the improvement of user experience, and available budgets and schedules. The process is collaborative and longstanding to minimize disruptions to the theater’s busy event and reception calendar.
Constructed in 1926 for the Rubens Brothers Theater Company, the Rubens Rialto Square Theatre in downtown Joliet is a significant example of a Neo-Baroque style vaudeville movie palace designed by prolific theater architects C.W. & George L. Rapp, known as Rapp and Rapp. The theater is known as the “Jewel of Joliet” and is considered one of the “150 great places in Illinos” by the American Institute of Architects. Located in the city’s downtown, the theater was originally conceieved to be a “Palace for the People” and is situated along the original Route 66 through Illinois. The Rialto Square Theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
Preservation Architects and Architectural Historians as JLK are working with the Will County Metropolitan Exposition and Auditorium Authority (WCMEAA) to repair and renovate the historic Rubens Rialto Square Theatre (1926) in downtown Joliet, Illinois.
Before project planning and design, JLK conducted historic research and building assessments to understand existing conditions and the building’s character-defining materials, features, and spaces. JLK is leading all project phases and coordination with each discipline. Initial renovation phases include complete roof replacement of nine different pitched and flat roofs of varying ages and types and repairs to existing exterior masonry walls. The theater’s HVAC system will also receive critical and sensitive upgrades. Later phases include fire suppression upgrades within the orante, 1,966-seat theater space.
JLK is ensuring that all aspects of the work follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The work balances the preservation of historic integrity, the improvement of user experience, and available budgets and schedules. The process is collaborative and longstanding to minimize disruptions to the theater’s busy event and reception calendar.
Constructed in 1926 for the Rubens Brothers Theater Company, the Rubens Rialto Square Theatre in downtown Joliet is a significant example of a Neo-Baroque style vaudeville movie palace designed by prolific theater architects C.W. & George L. Rapp, known as Rapp and Rapp. The theater is known as the “Jewel of Joliet” and is considered one of the “150 great places in Illinos” by the American Institute of Architects. Located in the city’s downtown, the theater was originally conceieved to be a “Palace for the People” and is situated along the original Route 66 through Illinois. The Rialto Square Theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
