EASTERN STATE PENITENTIARY - BERTILLION OFFICES
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
S. Harris Ltd. was retained to prepare options for restoring the Bertillion back to its original administrative office use for the staff as well as for relocating the Halloween Green Room to a larger space near Cellblock One.  The challenge of the Bertillion conversion was to construct new systems, including fire detection, office furnishings, electrical and data services, a kitchenette, archives storage space, and lavatories without moving the existing masonry walls or removing the scaling plaster finishes.  Less is more… and preserving the existing state of the site was critical.

SCOPE OF SERVICE
  • Prepare schematic documents of office layout options for review by the staff.
  • Obtain estimates from approved contractors and review budgeting issues.
  • Provide construction documents of finalized layout for permit and contractors.
  • Provide Owner’s Representative services to manage all elements of construction work. 
SOLUTION
  • Reactivate historic lavatory locations to minimize costs and preserve original use of space.
  • Utilize surface mounted utilities for cost savings and reversibility options.
  • Retain all existing masonry wall partitions and installed floating floors for easy future removal.
  • Retain existing wall and ceiling finishes by applying a clear encapsulating coating to preserve the spaces in their “found” state. 
HISTORIC STATUS
Eastern State Penitentiary is a National Historic Landmark and is under consideration for a World Heritage Site nomination.