Our Unique Retractable Roof

You’ve likely seen the news coverage about the torrential rain, storms and tornadoes around the Illinois area.  While Chicago is mostly safe, our thoughts are with those towns primarily in Central Illinois that are affected the most, including Peoria, Nashville and Washington, IL.   We do find it inspiring to see how the communities came together to support and help one another.

The photo below was taken from our fourth floor space – a little wet outside from the recent rain. I|O Urban Roofscape will be approximately 15,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, with 10,000 square feet of lounge and event space.  The exciting part is the retractable roof, which you can see is being erected in the image below.  This unique design makes for unobstructed views of Chicago’s skyline.

I|O offers dramatic, south-facing skyline views, which are unobstructed due to the unique design of the retractable roof.
I|O offers dramatic, south-facing skyline views, which are unobstructed due to the unique design of the retractable roof.

Fortunately, all this rain doesn’t mean “rain delay” – we’re still right on schedule for a spectacular opening in February 2014.

Stay warm and dry.

Functional Design

One of The Godfrey’s trademark architectural design elements includes exposed trusses; not only do the trusses serve as a unique visual but they also play a crucial role in supporting the weight of the building. Below are photos of the exposed truss on the west side of The Godfrey. The trusses are nearing completion:

Trusses1

Truss2

Truss3

Fun fact: truss is derived from the Old French word “trousse”, which translates to a “collection of things bound together”.