Chicago is often described as the birthplace of the modern skyscraper. Following the Great Fire of 1871, the city became a blank canvas for the world’s most ambitious architects. Leading to the development of the “Chicago School” of architecture. While the city’s office towers and museums often steal the spotlight. Its hotels represent some of the most significant architectural achievements in urban history.
In Chicago, a hotel is rarely just a place to sleep. It is a testament to the era in which it was built, reflecting the transition from Gilded Age opulence. To Art Deco sleekness and mid-century modernism. For the traveler and the architecture enthusiast alike, the hotels of Chicago offer a vertical timeline of design innovation.
The Pioneers: Louis Sullivan and the Birth of Grandeur
To understand the architecture of Chicago hotels, one must start with the Auditorium Building, designed by the legendary firm of Adler … Read more