Major Construction Coming To Jackson Lake Lodge This Summer

Guests at Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park this summer will be front and center as the lodge gets a new roof and restoration of its exterior concrete walls (including re-staining of that concrete) to restore the character-defining architecture and design of the National Historic Landmark.

When construction of this lodge took root in the mid-1950s, it marked a turning point in national park architecture. The National Park Service was done with its romantic "arts and crafts" period and was moving into its Mission 66 phase, which placed an emphasis on handling large numbers of tourists as Americans were beginning to hit the road in large numbers to explore the country during their vacations.

Gilbert Stanley Underwood, who could ably design charming park lodges imbued with rustic touches of logs and rock and arts-and-crafts flourishes as well as creating coldly efficient federal buildings, found good use for concrete in the national parks. When he designed the massive and breathtaking Ahwahnee Lodge that opened in Yosemite National Park in 1927, Underwood used weathered granite for the exterior walls and concrete in place of timbers and planks. By pouring concrete into wood-lined forms and then staining it so it would appear to be redwood in both texture and color he created “shadowood,” a technique that resurfaced at Jackson Lake Lodge.

Nestled among sagebrush, pines and aspen on a terrace above its namesake lake, Jackson Lake Lodge hugs landscape. Its ponderous profile is laid low, as if its designer strived to minimize the hotel’s incongruity with the surrounding landscape of towering mountains and shimmering water. Built from slabs of concrete and sweeping panes of glass in an emphatic declaration that the National Park Service’s romance with arts-and-crafts-influenced lodging was unquestionably over, Jackson Lake Lodge made an architectural statement when it opened for business on June 11, 1955.

It was a stark contrast to the rustic mastery Underwood had wielded when he designed lodges in Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Zion national parks.

The "shadowood" decorative concrete exterior of the building is a character-defining feature of Jackson Lake Lodge, and it has deteriorated significantly since its construction. Over time, the concrete has spalled and cracked due to water infiltration and extreme temperature fluctuations. Additionally, the original stain color of the shadowood faded and was painted brown, altering its original appearance.

This summer's multi-million-dollar restoration project, funded by Grand Teton Lodge Company that operates the lodge, will result in a new roof, drainage improvements, repair to previous concrete damage, and restoration of the lodge’s original stain color, which is lighter than the existing non-historic paint.

Over the course of seven years, Grand Teton National Park and Grand Teton Lodge Company, in consultation with the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office and in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania, have conducted material science and historic document research to determine the best approach to repair and restore this nationally significant building. HPZS architectural firm conducted the design and is supporting through the construction, which will be led by Bulley & Andrews. All phases and steps of construction are being reviewed by park historic preservation experts to ensure that the cultural integrity of the Lodge is maintained.

Grand Teton Lodge Company has notified guests of construction activities. Visitors to the Lodge should be prepared for construction impacts, including associated noise, visible scaffolding and obstruction of some views. While overnight guests should not expect any impact to their lodging experience, there will be impacts to views from inside the Lodge through the month of June. The lodge opened for the season this past Friday.