The Rookery

Designed by famous architectural partners Burnham and Root, the picturesque Rookery was originally completed in 1888. Adding to its impressive stature, Frank Lloyd Wright redesigned the stunning two-story, skylit lobby in 1905. Meticulously renovated and maintained, The Rookery stands as one of the most highly recognized addresses in all of Chicago.

As one of the most historically significant buildings in Chicago, The Rookery is a unique enclave for businesses that value a prestigious presence. An icon in the center of Chicago's downtown Financial District, The Rookery seamlessly combines the flair of an era gone by with state-of-the-art building systems and technology. Designated a Chicago Landmark in 1972 after being added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, The Rookery is universally considered an architectural masterpiece.

WRIGHT'S WORK AT THE ROOKERY

When Wright was commissioned to work at The Rookery in 1905, the light court’s elaborate ironwork and ornament had gone out of fashion. A full-blown Prairie Style scheme would have overwhelmed the space. To strike a balance, Wright removed much of the iron and terra cotta detailing on the central staircase, balconies, and walls, replacing it with strong geometric patterns based on the railings of Root’s oriel stairs. He encased the iron columns in white marble that was gilded and incised with Root’s Arabic motif found in the LaSalle entrance. The fanciful electroliers that once flanked the central staircase were removed, and Wright added bronze chandeliers with prismatic glass that still hang there today.

Images created with Olympus OMD-EM5 MK II - 7-14mm Lens

@2016 PhotoPro - Jeffrey P. Hopp

Text from therookerybuilding.com

Cultural Arts Center - Chicago

Architecture

The building was designed by Boston architectural firm Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge for the city's central library, and Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) meeting hall and memorial in 1892. The land was donated by the GAR and the building was completed in 1897 at a cost of nearly $2 million. It is organized as a 4-story north wing (77 East Randolph entrance) and a 5-story south wing (78 East Washington entrance), 104 feet tall, with 3-foot-thick (0.91 m) masonry walls faced with Bedford Blue Limestone on a granite base, and designed in a generally neoclassical style with Italian Renaissance elements. It is capped with two stained-glass domes, set symmetrically atop the two wings. Key points of architectural interest are as follows:

Randolph Street entrance and stairway - Entrance with doric columns, mahogany doors, and entry hall with coffered ceiling and walls of green-veined Vermont marble. The curving stairway is faced with Knoxville pink marble, and features mosaics and ornate bronze balusters.

Washington Street entrance, lobby, and grand staircase - Arched portal, bronze-framed doors, and a 3-story, vaulted lobby with walls of white Carrara marble and mosaics. The staircase is also of white Carrara marble, set with medallions of green marble from Connemara, Ireland, and intricate mosaics of Favrile glass, stone, and mother of pearl. The stairway to the 5th floor was inspired by Venice's Bridge of Sighs.

Grand Army of the Republic Memorial - A large hall and rotunda in the north wing. The hall is faced with deep green Vermont marble, broken by a series of arches for windows and mahogany doors. The rotunda features 30-foot walls of Knoxville pink marble, mosaic floor, and a fine, stained-glass dome in Renaissance pattern by the firm of Healy and Millet.

Sidney R. Yates Gallery - replica of an assembly hall in the Doge's Palace, Venice, with heavily ornamented pilasters and coffered ceiling.

Preston Bradley Hall - A large, ornately patterned room of curving white Carrara marble, capped with an austere 38-foot Tiffany glass dome designed by artist J. A. Holtzer. The Cultural Center states this to be the largest Tiffany dome in the world. - Wikipedia

@ 2016 Photo Pro - Jeffrey P. Hopp

Hotel Allegro Chicago

Downtown Chicago Boutique Hotel

America’s Golden Era is alive and well at the Hotel Allegro. A historic gem in the heart of Chicago’s downtown Theatre District, surrounded by the Loop’s foremost sights like Grant Park and State Street’s shopping Mecca, this boutique haven boasts lavish theatrics all its own. One step through their welcoming doors will transport you back in time to an era of elegant hobnobbing and glamour.

 

@ 2016 Photo Pro - Jeffrey P. Hopp

Shapes in Chicago

Leica M9 50mm Summicron

@ 2014 Photo Pro - Jeffrey P. Hopp

Strolling in Chicago

Leica M9 50mm Summicron

@ 2014 Photo Pro - Jeffrey P. Hopp

Night in Chicago Architecture

Vitality is radiated from execeptional art and architecture.

-Arthur Erickson

@ 2014 Photo Pro - Jeffrey P. Hopp

Shapes in Chicago

 Lines, Light, and Moment

@ 2014 Photo Pro - Jeffrey P. Hopp

Organic Architecture

"Architecture is the learned game, correct and magnificent, of forms assembled in light" - Le Corbusier

“Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.” - Frank Gehry

Leica M9 35mm Summicron

@ 2013 Photo Pro - Jeffrey P. Hopp

Met A Morphosis

Leica M9 35mm Summicron

@ 2013 Photo Pro - Jeffrey P. Hopp

South Michigan Avenue, Chicago

Leica M9 35mm Summicron

@ 2013 Photo Pro - Jeffrey P. Hopp

Grant Park - Chicago's Front Yard

 

Leica M9 35mm Summicron

@ 2013 Photo Pro - Jeffrey P. Hopp