The Louis Comfort Tiffany Art Glass Dome in the Chicago Cultural Center’s Preston Bradley Hall is the largest dome by Tiffany in the world at approximately 48 feet in diameter, covering more than 1,000 square feet. It contains approximately 30,000 pieces of glass in 241 sections within a cast iron frame. The Tiffany Dome was installed in 1897, when the building opened as the first Chicago Public Library.

Holabird & Root was commissioned to restore the Tiffany Dome to the highest level of preservation standards.

The cast iron frame was cleaned and restored to its original gilded finish. The original glass of the outer dome had been replaced with concrete panels in 1935. The new skylight utilizes the original steel structure and restores natural light to illuminate the Tiffany glass. This project emphasized attention to detail of historic finishes and creativity in utilizing modern technology to enhance the efficiency of existing mechanical and electrical systems. The project also serves as an example of Holabird & Root’s ability to lead a team of artisans to complete a preservation project within a budget and on schedule.