Rookery Building, Chicago, Illinois

Related people

John P. Schooley Jr. (was created by)
Daniel Hudson Burnham (was created by)

Date

1885-1888; lobby remodeled by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1905-07; restored 1988

Description

This eleven-story office building was erected by the Central Safety Deposit Company. Its name originated from the former temporary City Hall and water tank that stood on the same site following the Fire of 1871, in which many of the city's birds made their nests. The Rookery Building is on the National Register of Historic Places. "This National Historic Landmark includes some structural innovations, including the double iron staircase that is supported by cantilevers, as well as the cast iron and stone structural elements that allow for the use of ribbon windows. The court is adorned with glazed white terra cotta and covered by an iron and glass roof spanning the second floor level. Famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright remodeled the ground floor lobby in 1905 by designing stair rails, light fixtures and urns." -- http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/chicago/c10.htm

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