Marquette Building | |
 Marquette Building at the northwest corner of Dearborn St. and Adams St. | |
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| Location | 140 South Dearborn Street Chicago,Illinois |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°52′46.2″N87°37′48.25″W / 41.879500°N 87.6300694°W /41.879500; -87.6300694 |
| Area | 0.8 acres (0.32 ha) |
| Built | 1895 |
| Architect | Holabird & Roche |
| Architectural style | Chicago |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000697[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | August 17, 1973[1] |
| Designated NHL | January 7, 1976[2] |
| Designated CL | June 9, 1975 |
TheMarquette Building, completed in 1895, is aChicago Landmark that was built by theGeorge A. Fuller Company and designed by architectsHolabird & Roche. The building is currently owned by theJohn D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. It is located in thecommunity area known as the "Loop" inChicago,Illinois, United States.
The building was one of theearly steel frame skyscrapers of its day, and is considered one of the best examples of theChicago School of architecture.[3] The building originally had a reddish,terra cotta exterior that, prior to restoration, was somewhat blackened due to decades of Loop soot. It is noted both for its then cutting edge frame and its ornate interior.
Since construction, the building has received numerous awards and honors. It was designated aChicago Landmark on June 9, 1975, and is considered an architectural masterpiece.[4] It was added to theNational Register of Historic Places on August 17, 1973, and named aNational Historic Landmark on January 7, 1976.[5] The building's preservation has been a major focus of the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation completed an extensive four-year restoration in 2006.
The building was named after FatherJacques Marquette, the first European settler in Chicago, who explored the Chicago region in 1674 and wintered in the area for the 1674-5 winter season. It was designed byWilliam Holabird andMartin Roche, with Coydon T. Purdy,architects of the firmHolabird & Roche.[6]
In the 1930s, the building was the downtownheadquarters for over 30railroad companies.[7] Around 1950, the terra-cotta cornice was removed from the Marquette Building when an additional story was added.[8] The building has been in continuous use as anoffice building since its construction.[3]
In 1977, Banker's Life and Casualty Company, owned byJohn D. MacArthur, acquired the Marquette Building. After his death in 1978, the building became the headquarters for theMacArthur Foundation, which bears his name.[9]
The lobby of the Marquette Building connects with theD.H. Burnham & Company–designedThe National to the west, providing apedway from Dearborn to Clark.[7] After theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks, many downtown buildings closed to the public, which eliminated warm, dry, indoor walking routes providing shortcuts through fullcity blocks, but the Marquette Building did not.[10]
The building features several distinct elements that have earned it honors as a Chicago Landmark, a National Historic Landmark, and a National Register Historic Place. It is considered an exemplary model of theChicago School of Architecture.[3] The architects,Holabird & Roche, used trademark long horizontal bay "Chicago windows" on the Marquette Building.[11][12] These are largepanes ofglass flanked by narrowsash windows. The grid-likewindow frames andspandrels are facilitated by the steel structure which enables non-load-bearingmasonry walls. The Marquette is 16 stories tall. This was one of the firststeel framedskyscrapers.[3] Wave-like moldings decorate the façade, which is made of horizontally banded brown terra cotta.[7] The building is constructed around a centrallight court and features an ornate, two-storylobby.[8]
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The ensemble of mosaics, sculptures, and bronze of the Marquette Building entry and interior honors Jacques Marquette's 1674-5 expedition.[13] Fourbas relief panels over the main entrance by sculptorHermon Atkins MacNeil show different scenes from Marquette's trip through theGreat Lakes region,[14] ending with one depicting hisburial.[15] Therevolving door panels feature carvings of panther's heads.[7] The hexagonal railing around the lobbyatrium is decorated with a mosaic frieze by theTiffany studio depicting events in the life of Jacques Marquette, his exploration of Illinois, andNative Americans he met.[4][7] The mosaics are byLouis Comfort Tiffany and his chief designer and art director, Jacob Adolph Holzer;[16] they contain panels of lustered Tiffany glass,mother-of-pearl, and semi-precious stones.[4]
The preservation of this building was championed by theLandmarks Preservation Council of Illinois.[17] In 2001, theJohn D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, its current owners, began a multi-year renovation.[18] The restoration to the exterior proceeded in two phases: reconstructing the cornice and replacing the 17th story windows to match the original windows; and cleaning and restoring the masonry and restoring the remainder of the windows.[8][19] Restoration architect Thomas "Gunny" Harboe directed this work.[1]
On September 12, 2006, TheCommission on Chicago Landmarks honored 21 landmark buildings, homeowners, and businesses with the Chicago Landmark Award for Preservation Excellence at the eighth-annual Landmarks ceremony. The award recognizes work involving notable improvements to individual Chicago landmarks or to buildings within Chicago Landmark Districts.[8][20]
On October 16, 2007, the Foundation opened a new interactiveaudio visual exhibit on the first floor, detailing the history of the building and its contribution to Chicago architecture. The free exhibit, which is open to the public, will run indefinitely.[21][22]
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