Old Cook County Hospital Building Gets a $3 Million Preservation Boost
You can do lots of things with money. You can help someone in need. You can buy a cat. And with enough of it, you can save the old Cook County Hospital Building. The former Cook County Hospital (March 2009) A big step in the direction of saving that structure is coming from the State of Illinois, which has chosen the vacant hospital building to receive three million dollars in tax credits for its rehabilitation. The money comes...
Charnley-Persky House Is The Result Of A Collaboration Between Two Legendary Architects
Among the classic stately mansions you’ll find along the Gold Coast, one house stands out. The Charnley-Persky House at 1365 North Astor Street is noteworthy for both its symmetrical design and for the architects who designed it. The design dream team was Louis Sullivan and his junior draftsman: Frank Lloyd Wright. This structure was one of the fascinating architectural gems open to visitors during the Chicago Architecture...
Open House Chicago Popularity Soars With Huge Increase During 2015 Event
The 2015 edition of Chicago’s annual architecture festival was more popular than ever. Open House Chicago, the October 17-18 event orchestrated by the Chicago Architecture Foundation, offered up a cornucopia of architectural treasures for visitors to see up close. The Foundation provided us with the final statistics for this year’s OHC: There were 85,000 attendees. They made 320,000 visits. That is a 13% increase in traffic over the...
Clubby, Pubby Atmosphere Greets Visitors To Sky-Line Club
There’s something about rich woodwork interior that just feels clubby. It’s fitting, then, that the 24th floor of the Old Republic Building is home to the Sky-Line Club. This warm, cozy space was one of the many fascinating looks at old Chicago available for viewing during the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s 2015 Open House Chicago. The Sky-Line Club is one of the oldest private clubs in Chicago. It boasts a wainscoted lobby, a...
Preservation Efforts Recognized At Landmarks Illinois Driehaus Awards Presentation
Rebuild Foundation took home the Project of the Year Award for its Dorchester Art + Housing project. The initiative reused the townhouses of an abandoned public housing development in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood, and converted a blighted block into something far different—a cultural hub focused around an active art center, along with 32 mixed-income rental units. Dorchester representative Demecina Beehn accepted the award...
Ten Design Details: The Sullivan Center And Its Famous Cast-Iron Façade
Most Target stores are boxy ho-hum affairs alongside similar boring suburban buildings. Not so the store at 1 South State Street in the Loop. This is a building with character, history and unique design elements. But then, you’d expect no less from a structure designed by Adler and Sullivan, and touch-ups by John Vinci. During the Chicago Architecture Biennial opening weekend, Preservation Chicago offered a unique look at the former...
A Pullman Update: The Future Takes Shape With Community Planning Session
For years, the Pullman Historic District was positioned as the next logical addition to the National Park System. It finally happened on Feb. 19 when President Obama visited the site to officially make the designation. Now that the Pullman District is a bona fide national monument, the real work begins. It’s safe to say that Pullman will be a work in progress. Planning for the future of the site is a necessary step. On April 18, 400...
Dogs And Adaptive Re-Use In A Single Story? But Of Course!
It’s not often that you see a story about adaptive reuse architecture and dogs. Read on and you’ll see how they come together quite well. When Google began looking for a Midwest headquarters location, there was one condition on which they wouldn’t waver: the building had to be dog-friendly. Fortunately, the Fulton Market Cold Storage building—now reborn as 1K Fulton—will welcome canines with open arms. In late April, the Google troops...
Ten Cool Facts About The New Virgin Hotel Chicago
Sir Richard Branson—in addition to being an adventurer, bon vivant, and tycoon—does a pretty decent job as a host. His Virgin Hotel Group launched its first property last month in Chicago in the former Dearborn Bank Building at 203 N. Wabash Street. It’s unlike most any other hotels you’ll see. Virgin Hotel Chicago boasts functional and whimsical architectural elements. The design team at the Rockwell Group made every decision for the...
Lubing Up the Paddles to Give Old Cook County Hospital One Last Jolt
With October upon us, around the country countless carneys are busy setting up seasonal haunted houses. And one of the most popular themes is the abandoned hospital. But Chicago doesn’t need an army of carneys to erect a house of horrors, because the city has its own massive, scary-looking abandoned hospital just a stone’s throw from downtown. But after years of absorbing rain and pigeon droppings, the first baby steps...
