Buffalo Iron Works

49 Illinois Street

Buffalo, NY

This urban, two story masonry building was erected in 1915 and originally intended as a manufacturing facility in the Cobblestone District adjacent to the inner harbor development. Our agenda was to historically renovate the exterior shell, replace the windows and design a new primary entrance. The interior will have a new core, toilets, elevator, stairs and state of the art energy efficient mechanical systems. Using the secretary of the interiors standards, we obtained historic board approval. The masonry shell required partial wall reconstruction and stabilization. We repointed the entire envelope and repainted the exterior in order to protect the brick from absorbing moisture. The sides and rear elevations were reglazed with aluminum, thermally broken windows.

49 Illinois Street underwent an extensive renovation in 2013 to become Buffalo Iron Works, a full service music venue to add to the rich urban context of the cobblestone district and neighborhood.