Wayfarer Music Hall
Located in downtown Monroe, the Wayfarer Music Hall once housed horses. Now the building has been transformed into an event space that respects and celebrates its architectural past. The design team worked to ensure the roof structure was carefully replaced as close to the original as possible. New structural members of wood beams and steel were constructed to differentiate old and new. The historic masonry walls were gently cleaned, and the severely spalling bricks were replaced one-by-one with salvaged bricks from newly cut interior openings. The existing sliding barn doors at the entrances were preserved, with new storefront entries inset into the building to maintain the historic arched openings along the south façade. Custom wood windows were constructed for the historic window openings. Even the table tops in the event space were made from shelving salvaged on site. The structure was left exposed in all areas possible to embrace the historic utilitarian nature of the building, while bringing new life to downtown Monroe.
Awards for Excellence in Sustainable Rehabilitation recognize excellent rehabilitation projects that also incorporate appropriate conservation and sustainable treatments to lessen a building’s environmental impact while preserving significant features that convey its historic significance.
