Reconstructing Destroyed Ceiling Medallions
Two antique ceiling medallions were commissioned for reconstruction at the historic Peoria Marriott Pierre Marquette Hotel. Although the original pieces had been lost over time, Heritage Restoration successfully recreated them using archival photographs as reference material.
During a renovation of the Pierre Marquette Hotel’s presidential suite, the original ceiling medallions were removed and no longer available. Fortunately, three archival photographs of the medallions remained. Heritage Restoration was commissioned to recreate the decorative elements based on these limited references.
Using the photographs, Heritage's design team developed a detailed three-dimensional digital model of the original medallion. This model was divided into ten unique components, which were then 3D-printed in plastic to serve as the base forms for replication. To enable the production of multiple sets, each printed component was mounted onto a board with raised borders and embedded in a professional-grade mold-making compound. Once the compound had cured, the original plastic pieces were removed, leaving precise molds of each design.
From these molds, a durable plaster solution was used to cast all necessary parts. Each medallion required forty individual pieces, which were carefully assembled and finished by hand. Today, visitors to the presidential suite can once again admire these historically inspired ceiling medallions—now faithfully reconstructed thanks to the combination of digital modeling and traditional craftsmanship.
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