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  Essential Architecture-  Chicago Loop North

McGraw-Hill Building

architect

Thielbar and Fugard, with Gwen Lux

location

520 N. Michigan Ave.

date

1928-29

style

Stripped Classical Art Deco 

construction

Stone cladding, steel frame

type

Office Building
 
 
   
One of the city's finest collaborations of sculpture and architecture, this is a rare surviving example of the high-quality of buildings that were constructed along North Michigan Avenue from 1918-1930, a period when the street first established its character as a prestigious retail address. An example of Art Deco architecture, the building design incorporates classical style with modern linear qualities. Particularly distinctive are its rich and innovative sculptures by Gwen Lux, a major 20th-century sculptor and one of the few women in the field. The building's architects were known for their high-quality designs, including apartments in the East Lake Shore Drive District. This building was constructed by the McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, whose Midwestern headquarters served as the original anchor tenant.

links

With special thanks to the City of Chicago website, www.egov.cityofchicago.org , for much of the info on this page.
Photos copyright City of Chicago.
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