The Aurora

Built as a Montgomery Ward Department Store in 1930, this downtown Roanoke building boasts handsome brick and terra cotta Art Deco facades. Its interior is dominated by a three-story atrium topped with a large barrel vault skylight. The building was converted to an office building in 1980; in 2015, its use changed again, this time as apartments on the three upper levels and artists’ studios on the lower level.

The project’s scope included new plumbing, HVAC, and electrical systems, traffic-bearing skylights in the atrium floor (to provide daylight to the lower level), and a roof deck for tenants. All work was done in accordance with National Park Service Standards for Rehabilitation of Historic Buildings. The building is now known as The Aurora. 

Location: Roanoke, VA
Date: 2015
Size: 25,000 SF