The Pittsfield Building rises forty stories above Washington Street with a terra cotta facade that grows lighter in color as it climbs toward the sky. When it opened in nineteen twenty-seven, it housed dozens of doctors and dentists,…
Downtown Art Deco Architecture
This walk guides you past the striking facades, dramatic lobbies, and geometric ornamentation of Chicago's premier 1920s masterpieces. You'll gain a deep appreciation for the glittering details and jazz-age optimism that define the city's unique Art Deco heritage.
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1. Pittsfield Building
2. Carbide & Carbon Building
The Carbide and Carbon Building rises forty stories, finished in dark green terra cotta trimmed with genuine gold leaf. It mimics the shape of a champagne bottle, a design choice by architects Harry and John Burnham. During Prohibition,…
3. Jack's Place - Chicago Motor Club
The Art Deco terra-cotta facade of the Chicago Motor Club building features an oversized, stylized map of the United States. When the building opened in nineteen twenty-eight, this map acted as a billboard for the club members who drove…
4. LaSalle-Wacker Building
The LaSalle-Wacker Building stands out for the dramatic setbacks of its upper floors, which create a jagged, wedding-cake profile against the skyline. Completed in nineteen thirty, this art deco tower marks the northern end of the…
5. 1 N. LaSalle Building
The one North LaSalle building rises forty-nine stories in a tapered silhouette of white terra cotta. Completed in nineteen thirty, it occupies the former site of the Tacoma Building, the world’s first skyscraper to use a complete steel…
6. Civic Opera House
The Civic Opera House wears a throne-like crown of terra-cotta, its vertical lines pulling the eye upward toward the Chicago skyline. Samuel Insull built this forty-five-story giant in nineteen twenty-nine, driven by a dream to bring high…
7. Field Building
The Field Building occupies the ground where the first Fort Dearborn stood before the eighteen seventy-one fire. Its limestone facade rises in a sharp, tapered profile, reaching forty-five stories toward the skyline. During the Great…
8. Chicago Board of Trade Building
The Chicago Board of Trade Building anchors the end of LaSalle Street with its dark, jagged limestone facade and the three-story bronze statue of Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, perched at the peak. Built in nineteen thirty during…