EASTERN STATE PENITENTIARY - SKYLIGHTS CELLBLOCK 7

CLIENT
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc. 

LOCATION
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

STRUCTURE
Opened in 1829 as part of a controversial movement to change the behavior of inmates through "confinement in solitude with labor," the massive stone structure became one of the most expensive and most copied buildings in America.  More than 300 prisons worldwide are based on the Penitentiary's radial or “wagon wheel” floor plan.

CHALLENGE
Cellblock 7 was to receive new roofing, but three large skylights needed to be restored before the roofing work could begin.  Limited ground area on either side of the block would not permit the use of a crane to lift the newly fabricated one-ton skylight frames into place.

SCOPE OF SERVICE
  • Design restoration plans for the three corridor skylights in Cellblock 7.
  • Design a method of installation for the three one-ton skylights.
  • Review the proposed work with the Philadelphia Historical Commission.
  • Monitor the installation process.
SOLUTION
  • Provide construction documents for repair of the clerestory sections.
  • Provide construction documents and review shop drawings for fabrication of two new skylight frames to match the existing.
  • Prepare design documents for a temporary rail system to transport the one-ton frames. Monitor the process of lifting the frames onto the rail by crane and manually rolling them into place.
  • Provide construction administration throughout the process.
HISTORIC STATUS
Eastern State Penitentiary is a National Historic Landmark and is under consideration for a World Heritage Site nomination.