The Metropolis Condominium, located at 8 West Monroe Street, is a 19-story steel-framed building constructed in the early 1900s. Its primary elevations feature distinct materials: the east and south facades are predominantly clad in white terra cotta, while the north and west facades are primarily brick masonry. During the repair project, existing terra cotta units were carefully removed and used as templates to fabricate replacement pieces in GFRC (glass fiber reinforced concrete). The GFRC material offers the aesthetic appeal of terra cotta while being lighter and easier to produce.

The East Wall Repairs included:

• Grinding and full tuckpointing of the terra cotta masonry

• Targeted repairs to damaged terra cotta units

• Limited replacement of terra cotta units with GFRC (glass fiber reinforced concrete) units

• Replacement of window perimeter sealant

• Repairs to miscellaneous sealant joints