Project: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Park Inn Hotel - Mason City, Iowa

Client: Bergland + Cram Architects, Mason City, Iowa

Completed: 1999

Peterson Engineers was involved in the early stages of the restoration of the Park Inn Hotel. The large roof overhangs on the northeast and northwest corners of the building were not constructed properly when the Hotel was built and continued to sag badly over the years. These two roof areas were completely rebuilt using manufactured lumber to increase their stiffness and to maintain a straight roof line.

The mezzanine above the front desk area no longer existed and had to be reconstructed from old photographs. To accomplish the long span over the desk and maintain maximum headroom under the mezzanine, we designed “upset” beams that were built as part of the decorative railings on the north and south sides.