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Medinah Athletic Club
Art by: Chris Hytha
Story by: Mark Houser
Like the red fezzes Shriners wear at parades, the Moorish dome and minaret capping this highrise are all part of the fraternal organization's Middle Eastern theme. Built to provide recreation facilities, banquet space, and 440 guest rooms for Chicago's largest masonic group, the eclectic skyscraper has been a hotel for most of its existence.
A Shriners children's hospital in Oak Park and country club in DuPage County were both underway in 1925 when plans for this building, three blocks from the Medinah Shrine on Wabash Avenue, were announced. Mayor "Big Bill" Thompson broke ground two years later with the club tower’s president, Thomas Houston, an insurance man who headed Thompson's civil service commission. In 1931, Houston was named imperial potentate of all Shriners in America; two months later, he was bounced from the presidency of his athletic club, which had defaulted on its loans and eventually filed for bankruptcy.
The tower first was remodeled into a hotel in 1944. After a series of owners, it underwent extensive restoration and reopened as the Hotel InterContinental in 1990. Lavishly decorated inside and out, the building especially leans into its stonemasonry heritage. Three Mesopotamian-inspired friezes wrap around the building and depict scenes in the construction of a great temple.
Highrises are the iconic elements of American cities. Reaching radical new heights in technological advancement, skyscrapers fused Classical, Renaissance, and Gothic motifs onto steel and defined a new architectural language with Art Deco and International.
The Highrises project reveals hidden details of remarkable buildings, including many that are underappreciated. The images showcase structures that reflect the values and ideals animating the early 20th century. The stories provide historical context and deepen our understanding of their importance and value.
Contract Address0x516d...b5d2
Token ID161
Token StandardERC-721
ChainEthereum
Last Updated9 days ago
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Highrise #162
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Medinah Athletic Club
Art by: Chris Hytha
Story by: Mark Houser
Like the red fezzes Shriners wear at parades, the Moorish dome and minaret capping this highrise are all part of the fraternal organization's Middle Eastern theme. Built to provide recreation facilities, banquet space, and 440 guest rooms for Chicago's largest masonic group, the eclectic skyscraper has been a hotel for most of its existence.
A Shriners children's hospital in Oak Park and country club in DuPage County were both underway in 1925 when plans for this building, three blocks from the Medinah Shrine on Wabash Avenue, were announced. Mayor "Big Bill" Thompson broke ground two years later with the club tower’s president, Thomas Houston, an insurance man who headed Thompson's civil service commission. In 1931, Houston was named imperial potentate of all Shriners in America; two months later, he was bounced from the presidency of his athletic club, which had defaulted on its loans and eventually filed for bankruptcy.
The tower first was remodeled into a hotel in 1944. After a series of owners, it underwent extensive restoration and reopened as the Hotel InterContinental in 1990. Lavishly decorated inside and out, the building especially leans into its stonemasonry heritage. Three Mesopotamian-inspired friezes wrap around the building and depict scenes in the construction of a great temple.
Highrises are the iconic elements of American cities. Reaching radical new heights in technological advancement, skyscrapers fused Classical, Renaissance, and Gothic motifs onto steel and defined a new architectural language with Art Deco and International.
The Highrises project reveals hidden details of remarkable buildings, including many that are underappreciated. The images showcase structures that reflect the values and ideals animating the early 20th century. The stories provide historical context and deepen our understanding of their importance and value.
Contract Address0x516d...b5d2
Token ID161
Token StandardERC-721
ChainEthereum
Last Updated9 days ago
Creator Earnings
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