S. Dearborn Street [Manhattan Building - I ]

Manhattan Building..
Address: 431 S. Dearborn St.
Year Built: 1891
Architect: William Le Baron Jenney
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: July 7, 1978..
The architect William Le Baron Jenney was one of the pioneers in the development of tall buildings. It reached the then astounding height of 16-story in 1891.



The plaque reads ...
Chicago Landmark..
Manhatten Building
William LeBaron Jenny, architect
1891..
The Manhatten is Chicago's oldest surviving steel-frame building. It's architect was a pioneer in the development of steel frame construction, which along with the invention of elevator, made possible the modern skyscraper. Bay windows admit maximum light to the interiror spaces.
Designated a Chicago landmark on July 7, 1978
By the City Council of Chicago
Michael A Bitandic, Mayor
Commission of Chicago Historical and Architectural Landmarks.

The distinctive bay windows provide maximum light to the building's interior spaces, while the combination of a granite [lower three floors] and brick facade [upper stories] help carry and lighten the load of the internal steel framework.

There are some amusing grotesques on the facade of the building..
For more images of the grotesques, click here..

For more images..
Manhatten Building-II: Sculptural Ornamentation..

S. Dearborn Street has a number of designated Landmark buildings..
Monadnock Bldg., Fisher Bldg., Old Colony Bldg., and Manhattan Bldg.. For more on thse check the related links..
RELATED LINKS..
# S. Dearborn Street..
# Monadonock Block..
# Fisher Building..
# Old Colony Building...
# Manhattan Building.
Also nearby..
# Printing House Row District..
# Harold Washington Library..

Read More

S. Dearborn Street [Manhatten Building - II, Sculptural Ornamentation]

Continued from the above post.. click here..

Manhatten Building..
Address: 431 S. Dearborn St.
Year Built: 1891
Architect: William Le Baron Jenney
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: July 7, 1978 ..
The Manhatten is Chicago's oldest surviving steel-frame building.
This post is more about the sculptural ornamentation.. the grotesques on the facade.

For more on..
Manhattan Building.. click here..

S. Dearborn Street has a number of designated Landmark buildings..
Monadnock Bldg., Fisher Bldg., Old Colony Bldg., and Manhattan Bldg.. For more on thse check the related links..
RELATED LINKS..
# S. Dearborn Street..
# Monadonock Block..
# Fisher Building..
# Old Colony Building...
# Manhattan Building.
Also nearby..
# Printing House Row District..
# Harold Washington Library..

Read More

South Dearborn Street

The South Dearborn Street [between Jackson Blvd and W Congress Pkwy] has many designated Chicago Landmark structures which reflect some early skyscrapers and some of the finest achievements of the "Chicago School" of architects... Like:
# Monadnock Block.. by Burnham and Root (north section) and Holabird and Roche (south section), one of the largest masonry bearing-wall structures ever built.
# Fisher Building.. by Daniel Burnham, an early curtain-wall structure ..
# Old Colony Building.. by Holabird and Roche, using Corydon Purdy's wind bracing system ..
# Manhatten Building.. by William Le Baron Jenny, the first complete steel skeleton building, with wind bracing ..

Each of these four buildings has been designated as a Chicago Landmark building ...

Monadnock Block ...
Address: 53 W. Jackson Blvd.
Year Built:
North half 1889-91..
South half 1891-93 ...
Architect:
North half: Burnham & Root
South half: Holabird & Roche
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: November 14, 1973...
For more on Monadnock Block, click here..

Fisher Building...
Address: 343 S. Dearborn St.
Year Built: 1896, North addition, 1907
Architect: Burnham & Co. .. North addition: Peter Weber,
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: June 7, 1978..
For more on Fisher Building, click here ..
Fisher Building - Sculptural ornamentation

Old Colony Building ..
Address: 407 S. Dearborn St.
Year Built: 1894
Architect: Holabird & Roche
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: July 7, 1978..
For more on Old Colony Building, click here..

Manhattan Building ...
Address: 431 S. Dearborn St.
Year Built: 1891
Architect: William Le Baron Jenney
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: July 7, 1978..
For more on Manhattan Building, click here ...
Manhattan Building - Sculptural Ornamentation..

RELATED LINKS..
# S. Dearborn Street..
# Monadonock Block..
# Fisher Building..
# Old Colony Building...
# Manhattan Building.
Also nearby..
# Printing House Row District..
# Harold Washington Library..

Read More

S. Dearborn Street [Old Colony Building]

Old Colony Building..
Address: 407 S. Dearborn St.
Year Built: 1894
Architect: Holabird & Roche
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: July 7, 1978..

Rounded corner bays, a feature of many early skyscrapers, enliven the silhouette of this commercial structure.

S. Dearborn Street has a number of designated Landmark buildings..
Monadnock Bldg., Fisher Bldg., Old Colony Bldg., and Manhattan Bldg.. For more on thse check the related links..
RELATED LINKS..
# S. Dearborn Street..
# Monadonock Block..
# Fisher Building..
# Old Colony Building...
# Manhattan Building.
Also nearby..
# Printing House Row District..
# Harold Washington Library..

Read More

S. Dearborn Street [Fisher Building]

Fisher Building..
Address: 343 S. Dearborn St.
Year Built: 1896
North addition, 1907
Architect: Burnham & Co.
North addition: Peter Weber
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: June 7, 1978



The plaque reads:
"Chicago Landmark
Fisher Building
D.H Burnham & Co. architects
1896
A remarkable light and open facade enlivened by terra-cotta fish, eagles, salamanders, and other ornamental forms makes the Fisher building an original and fanciful design within the tradition of Chicago school. The taller 1907 addition to the north repeats most elements of the original design.
Designated a Chicago Landmark: June 7, 1978
By the City Council of Chicago.
Michael A. Bilandic, Mayor
Commission on Chicago Historical and Architectural Landmarks."

It was built for the paper industry magnate Lucius G. Fisher. The original building was completed in 1896 by D.H. Burnham & Company. It was 18-story high. In 1906, an addition on the northern side of the building raised it from 18 to 20 stories. The addition was made by Peter J. Weber, a former employee of the Burnham firm. To this day, the Fisher Building is the oldest 18 story building in Chicago that has not been demolished. The Masonic Temple, which was taller and older, was demolished in 1939.

As a visual pun on the name of the building's original owner "Fisher", various aquatic creatures and seashells are carved at the base of the building. In addition, eagles and mythical beasts decorate the upper stories.

Check out more images of the aquatic creatures on the building..
Fisher Building - II [Sculptural Ornamentaion].. click here..

S. Dearborn Street has a number of designated Landmark buildings..
Monadnock Bldg., Fisher Bldg., Old Colony Bldg., and Manhattan Bldg.. For more on thse check the related links..
RELATED LINKS..
# S. Dearborn Street..
# Monadonock Block..
# Fisher Building..
# Old Colony Building...
# Manhattan Building.
Also nearby..
# Printing House Row District..
# Harold Washington Library..

Read More

S Dearborn Street [Fisher Building - II , Sculptural Ornamentation]

Fisher Building..
Address: 343 S. Dearborn St.
Year Built: 1896
North addition: 1907
Architect: Burnham & Co.
North addition: Peter Weber,
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: June 7, 1978..
For more on Fisher Building.. click here..

The building was built for paper magnate Lucius G. Fisher.. As a visual pun on the name of the original owner "Fisher", various carvings of aquatic creatures like fish and crabs can be found at the base of the building. In addition, there are eagles, dragons and other mythical creatures depicted on the upper stories..

For more on Fisher Building.. click here..

S. Dearborn Street has a number of designated Landmark buildings..
Monadnock Bldg., Fisher Bldg., Old Colony Bldg., and Manhattan Bldg.. For more on thse check the related links..
RELATED LINKS..
# S. Dearborn Street..
# Monadonock Block..
# Fisher Building..
# Old Colony Building...
# Manhattan Building.
Also nearby..
# Printing House Row District..
# Harold Washington Library..

Read More

Monadnock Block

On the left side is the south half, on the right side is the north half.

Monadnock Block..
Address: 53 W. Jackson Blvd.
Year Built: North half 1889-91 ... South half 1891-93 ...
Architect: North half: Burnham & Root ... South half: Holabird & Roche
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: November 14, 1973...

Here's some information from it's official site .. Monadnock .. click here ..
"The North half of the Monadnock was John Wellborn Root’s last and boldest design. Root caught pneumonia and died at the age of 41, while the building was under construction. At the time of his death, in addition to running Chicago’s largest architectural practice, John Root and Daniel Burnham were responsible for the design and construction of the World’s Columbian Exposition, which was to open the following year. Root’s death forced Burnham to concentrate his energies on the Exposition, so when the north half of the Monadnock rented quickly and its owners decided to build the south half right away, they commissioned another firm to design it: Holabird & Roche, the second largest practice in the City.

The two halves of the building are similar in scale and color, but quite different in style. The north half is often called a fountainhead of modern architecture because of its total absence of exterior ornament. Root evidently felt that all that was needed here was graceful form for the structure itself. The south half of the building, on the other hand, is a masterful early application of classical architectural principles to the design of a tall building."

On the left side is the south half, on the right side is the north half...

The north part: famed for its lack of traditional ornamentation--is a masonry, wall-bearing structure, the last skyscraper to employ this method of construction, with six-foot thick walls at the base.
The south addition, on the other hand, is an early example of steel-frame construction, its underlying structure revealed through narrow piers and wide windows.
Together, they mark the end of one building tradition and the beginning of another.

An elaborate iron staircase runs up the middle of the north building, right through the lobby and the office floor hallways..

S. Dearborn Street has a number of designated Landmark buildings..
Monadnock Bldg., Fisher Bldg., Old Colony Bldg., and Manhattan Bldg.. For more on thse check the related links..
RELATED LINKS..
# S. Dearborn Street..
# Monadonock Block..
# Fisher Building..
# Old Colony Building...
# Manhattan Building.
Also nearby..
# Printing House Row District..
# Harold Washington Library..

Read More