Lyric Opera of Chicago

The Lyric Opera of Chicago occupies the massive limestone building on Wacker Drive with a long row of heavy, two-story columns carved into its facade. This structure was designed in nineteen twenty-nine as a multipurpose commercial center, and the opera company only moved into the theater space permanently in nineteen fifty-four. Samuel Insull, the utility magnate who built it, insisted the auditorium provide perfect acoustics for his wife, a soprano. He spent millions to ensure every seat heard every note clearly.