Originally constructed in 1888, the Rookery Office Building is the oldest remaining high-rise in Chicago and was built by Daniel H. Burnham & J. W. Root. It’s name probably came from the previous building on this site which was an old city hall and was a favorite roosting spot of pigeons. The lobby was remodeled in 1905 by Frank Lloyd Wright, who simplified the ironwork and added planters, terra cotta and light fixtures in his trademark prairie style.
TIES TO THE COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION
It’s name probably came from the previous building on this site which was an old city hall and was a favorite roosting spot of pigeons. The lobby was remodeled in 1905 by Frank Lloyd Wright, who simplified the ironwork of Burham and Root and added planters, terra cotta and light fixtures in his trademark prairie style.
Interested persons can take a guided tour of the Rookery lobby and the Burnham Library. The Burnham Library is where prominent architects of the day (Louis Sullivan, Charles B. Atwood, Frederick Law Olmsted and more) met to discuss the preliminary building plans for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.
RELATED ARTICLES, MEDIA, RESOURCES & LINKS
Browse these resources for more information about this FLW Building, it’s history and information about the region.
The Rookery: A Building Book from the Chicago Architecture Foundation (2003)
The Plan of Chicago: Daniel Burnham and the Remaking of the American City by Carl Smith (2006)