Silo Point
An Industrial-Strength Renovation
By Christopher Pfaeffle, AIA, NCARB
Blueprints 2007-08
Volume XXVI, No. 1
Preservation of modern-era buildings is not limited to landmarks designed by famous architects. As this article about a project called Silo Point makes clear, the American landscape includes industrial buildings and other essentially modern structures that could easily be forgotten or dismissed, but in fact can be handsomely and profitably transformed to serve new purposes. While such projects are likely to entail substantial changes to the existing structures rather than pure restoration, they nonetheless can serve to preserve important aspects of a community’s historic character while also minimizing expenditures for entirely new resources.
Christopher Pfaeffle, AIA NCARB, is principal and founder of Parameter Inc. in Baltimore, and is the architect for Silo Point.
Pat and I never once considered demolishing the elevator tower, despite the naysayers who insisted that the only sensible approach was to take it down and build from scratch. While starting with a blank slate is often easier, it was just not an option in this case as we came to admire the grittily elegant structure. We were convinced that saving the building was worth the effort, and four years after our initial visit, the complex that we now call Silo Point is finally being transformed from an archaic industrial facility into a stylish condominium with 228 airy apartments.
Old Dog, New Tricks
We wanted to create a cutting-edge work of architecture that would reveal much of its past without expressing it too literally. Our adaptive reuse strategy involved coming to an understanding of how the building was designed and how it worked, and then translating that into a modern use. For example, one of the most important aspects of the grain elevator structure was the sense of vastness one felt when walking around both the interior and exterior. We wanted to preserve that aspect of the elevator building’s character while taking advantage of every opportunity to let the building tell its own story.
Another challenge was the 16-foot-by-16-foot structural grid that was used throughout the original elevator and silos. Although such a grid bears no relationship to typical modern dimensions for residential construction, we felt compelled to retain it and integrate it into the new construction to preserve the project’s historical continuity. In the end, original beams and columns remained in place, as we found ways to make the contemporary apartments conform to the unusual structural dimensions. Ultimately, as we came to understand the ramifications of this decision, it helped us to design better living units.
The incorporation of elevators—for people, that is, rather than grain—also posed quite a problem. In a typical new construction project, stock elevators are placed in shafts designed specifically to accommodate them. At Silo Point, elevators had to be custom made to fit in the building’s existing silos on that unusual 16-foot-by-16-foot grid. Moreover, we had to design special platforms in adjacent silos to access the elevators’ counterweights, and had to “suspend” elevator pits in the basement. Additionally, new elevators were placed at the perimeter of the project.
A Striking Model for Urban Living
The public spaces of the complex are designed to celebrate the project’s origins. Robust, octagonal columns march through the main lobby, emphasizing the great weight of the structure above and creating dramatic perspectives. The basilica-like quality of this space will serve as a powerful reminder of the vastness of the original structure that so impressed us on our initial visit. Visitors will be able to look up and see the lit interiors of the grain silos rising 10 stories overhead. The lobby itself—aside from the columns— will remain practically empty.
The columns in the lobby extend into the lower level, which will house a fitness club, a business center, a billiards room, a wine club, and a gallery. The lowerlevel spaces will feature exposed pile caps, which will further enhance the visitor’s appreciation of the massive structure.
The additions to the building, including the elements interwoven with the remaining silos and a multistory block on top of the existing tower, are being constructed out of concrete, glass, and various forms of corrugated metal. A 550-car parking garage, capped by two- and three-level townhouse-like structures, will be linked to the tower by a three-story glass bridge.
In a project of this type, a cookiecutter approach to apartment layout would be impossible, and Silo Point will therefore offer a broad range of unit options. To pay homage to the site’s history, we decided to call the residential units “bins.” Each “bin” number will be illuminated on the floor in front of the apartment door—an allusion to the original system in which a plate in the floor identified the number of each storage bin. Some condo units will have ceilings as high as 18 feet, most with floor-to-ceiling windows. Units near the top of the skyscraper will have glass on two or three sides, and since no nearby buildings approach the complex’s 22-story height—and current zoning prevents any other high-rise construction in the area—Silo Point’s residents will enjoy spectacular views for years to come.
Another important design consideration was the provision of outdoor space for residents. Every bin at Silo Point has access to some kind of outdoor area—be it a private balcony, the lushly landscaped common terrace on the roof, or the walking trails that surround the property. The landscape design will allude to the complex’s original use by incorporating mounds representing the volume of grain that would fit in one silo, as well as grain-like plantings.
