Chicago - Architecture & Cityscape: February 2011

Monday, February 7, 2011

Chicago Cultural Center

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Chicago Public Library/ Chicago Cultural Center..

Address: 78 E. Washington St.

Year Built: 1897

Architect: Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge

Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: November 15, 1976..

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The plaque reads..

Chicago Landmark..

The Chicago Public Library Cultural Center

Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge, architects

1897

This building was the first permanent structure of the city's public library system. Designed to be a grand civic building, its exterior appearance and it's interior spaces are based on classical Greek and Italian Renaissance precedents. The library is extensively decorated with mosaics, marbles, bronze, and two stained-glass Tiffany domes.

Designated a Chicago landmark on Nov 15, 1976

by the City Council of Chicago Landmark on November 15, 1976

by the City Council of Chicago

Richard J. Daley, Mayor

Commission on Chicago Historical and Architectural Landmarks..

Grand Stairways..
As one enters from the Washington Street, there's a welcoming grand staircase.. which one enter's through an arched Romanesque portal. It has Y-symbol in the center and names of scholars inscribed on it, like Virgil, Cicero, Plato, Whitter, Emerson, and Longfellow, among others.. The staircase is made of white Carrara marble, with medallions of green marble from Connemara, Ireland. There's also intricate mosaics of favrile glass, stone, and mother of pearl..
# For more on grand stairways.. click here..

Preston Bradley Hall..
The grand staircase leads to the Preston Bradley Hall.. It's a large room of white Carrara marble and ornately patterns. The centerpiece is a 38-foot Tiffany glass dome designed by artist J. A. Holtzer. The Cultural Center claims this to be the largest Tiffany dome in the world.
# For more on Preston Bradley Hall.. click here..

G.A.R Rotunda..
As if one ornate dome wasn't enough, there another one. A yellow-toned stained-glass dome in Renaissance pattern by the firm of Healy and Millet. The rotunda features 30-foot walls of Knoxville pink marble and mosaic floor..
# For more on G.A.R. Rotunda.. click here..

G.A.R Hall..
The hall has deep green Vermont marble walls with mahogany doors. There's ornately carved arched doors and windows and even the ceiling has beautiful ornamental details..
# For more on G.A.R Hall.. click here..

Sidney R Yates Gallery..
Originally the library's main reading room. This gallery is named for Illinois Congressman Sidney R. Yates [1909-2000], tireless advocate for the arts. The hall was "likely" designed by Robert Spencer of the lead architects of Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge.
# For more on Sidney R. Yates Gallery.. click here..

# Landmark Gallery.. For more, click here ..

# Randolph Cafe.. For more, click here...

# Chicago Cultural Center - Tiffany Windows.. For more, click here..

# Chicago Cultural Center - Photograph - Jan Theun van Rees.. For more, click here..

Y-symbol at the Chicago Cultural Center..
Y-symbol is the symbol of the City of Chicago. It represents the three branches of Chicago River, which forms an alphabet Y topography at the "Wolf Point", where the main branch of the river, divides into the North and South branches..
# For more.. click here..

Chicago Cultural Center - Washington Street entrance

The outer hall of the Preston Bradley Hall has these inscriptions on the wall..

Benjamin Franklin, Founder of Circulating Library
Born: MDCCVI Died MDCCXC
Born: 1706.. Died 1790
[Public library is also called circulating library]

A library requires an act of faith which generations, still in darkness hid, sign in their night in witness of dawn.
-Victor Hugo
He that loveth a book will never want a faithful friend, a wholesome counselor, a cheerful companion, an effectual comforter.
-Issac Barrow
A good book is the precious life-blood of the master spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose for a life beyond life.
- Milton
The real use of all knowledge is this that we should dedicate that reason which was given us by God for the use and advantage of man
- Bacon

For more on..
# Chicago Cultural Center..click here..

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Chicago Cultural Center - Preston Bradley Hall

The Grand Stairways leads to the Preston Bradley Hall..

Preston Bradley Hall..
A large, ornately patterned room Carrara marble. The centerpiece is a 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, with an estimated value of $35 million..

Tiffany Ceiling details..

Beneath the tiffany dome is incribed..
Books are the legacies that a great genius leaves to mankind, which are delivered down from generation to generation as presents to the posterity of those who are yet unborn.. - Addison.