In 1929 Rickert Fillmore’s vision of a practical water reservoir and architecturally beautiful Italian Renaissance structure came to life with the completion of the Tower at Unity Village. Since then, the 165-foot Tower has remained an iconic presence at the Village, earning a place on the National Register of Historic Places.
With the Tower Restoration Project now full-speed ahead, a new chapter in the Village’s history is being written—one that could not have unfolded had it not been for the generous donors who, so far, have contributed $1,046,632 toward a new Holistic Healing Center. Read more information about the Holistic Healing Center.
Although the interior of the Tower is currently being demolished, one aspect that will remain is the historical integrity of the building. The Kansas City-based architectural firm Susan Richards Johnson and Associates, Inc., and her team of co-consultants were hired based on their firm commitment to the field of historic preservation and renovation, as well as their dedication to historic buildings.
Susan Richards Johnson explains some of the dynamics involved in the adaptive reuse of the Tower in a new video.
“Historic restoration has to do, first and foremost, with the protection of a historic structure by preserving as much of the original material as possible,” explained Susan. “There is a great desire to put historic buildings back into service and the Tower is accomplishing this with a new and adaptive use as a Holistic Healing Center. With this restoration, we are protecting an original icon, which was extraordinarily designed to hold a water tank, by incorporating features important to the original design of the building. This will preserve and protects Unity’s history and allow the Tower to stand in perpetuity.”
Through historic preservation, the new structure will remain true to the innovation of Rickert Fillmore.