Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
2
A Traveler's Guide to
Chicago's Architecture
by Lisa Torrance
A
lthough the Great Chicago Fire leveled almost 3 square miles of the down-
town area in 1871, destroying lives and property, it did clear the stage for
Chicago's emergence as the country's second city. Because the industrial base was
left intact, local businessmen could afford to finance the massive rebuilding that
ensued. Architects and engineers from around the nation addressed the city's
need for immediate and generous office space by creating the first skyscrapers.
Building innovations continued in Chicago through the turn of the 20th cen-
tury and well into the next 100 years, as architects sought to follow in the foot-
steps of these pioneers. This chapter guides you to the best of the early buildings
and the many that followed.
See the map “Chicago's Most Important Buildings” on p. 16 for the locations
of the buildings mentioned in this chapter.
1 Richardsonian Romanesque (1870-1900)
Boston-based architect
Henry Hobson Richardson
(1838-86) explored
designs and forms based on the Romanesque (a style distinguished by rounded
arches, thick walls, and small windows). His structures, ranging from university
and civic buildings to railroad stations and homes, were marked by a simplifica-
tion of form and the elimination of extraneous ornament and historical detail—
features that set his buildings apart from others of the period. The overall effect
depended on mass, volume, and scale. Richardson's 1872 design for Boston's
Trinity Church propelled him to national attention. In the 1880s, he completed
two commissions in Chicago, the Marshall Field Wholesale Store and the John
J. Glessner House, which both had a strong influence on Chicago architects,
notably Louis Sullivan. For more information on Sullivan, see the box “Master
Builders: Sullivan, Wright & Mies” on p. 21.
Richardsonian Romanesque buildings share the following characteristics:
• A massive quality
• Arched entrances
• Squat towers
• Deeply recessed porches and doorways
• Heavy masonry exteriors
• Use of rough-hewn stone
Richardson's
John J. Glessner House
(see illustration), 1800 S. Prairie Ave.
(1885-87), an elegant urban residence, still stands on Chicago's near South Side.
The influence of this structure can be seen in the
Carl C. Heisen House,
1250
N. Lake Shore Dr. (Frank B. Abbott, 1890), and the
Mason Brayman Starring
