Masonry Center on Display

The Mason Contractors Association and the Masonry Institute of St. Louis showed off the newly remodeled and expanded Masonry Center on Tuesday, Oct. 6, to an overflow crowd that included leading architects, engineers, and subcontractors, as well as dignitaries from the city of Richmond Heights.

The expansion of the facility at 1429 S. Big Bend Boulevard in Richmond Heights nearly doubles the size of the seminar space and adds state-of-the-art audiovisual capabilities to enhance the effectiveness of educational programs. The new meeting room can seat up to 200 people for a single, large lecture, or it can be divided into two rooms, each with its own audiovisual capabilities, that can seat 90 people each.

While improving the Masonry Institute's capabilities to offer educational programs to architects and engineers, the expansion also shows off different aspects of the mason's craft, including brick and stone work, glass block, and marble paving. The Masonry Institute's seminars and related events attract over 3,000 attendees a year.

Other benefits of the remodeling program include new and additional offices, a larger boardroom, a larger library/study room, and modern lavatories. An unfinished basement space affords the Masonry Institute a place to demonstrate mortal mixing and coloring.

"The lobby was the only thing that was not touched," said Darrell McMillian, technical director Masonry Institute of St. Louis.

ICS was the general contractor. Smith Masonry was the masonry contractor. Richards Brick supplied the brick.

The contractors' association bought the building in 1952, and the last major renovation was completed 25 years ago. Although methods of brick firing have changed substantially in the last 30 years, "Richards Brick did a good job of shading to match the original brick," McMillian said.

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