Open House Chicago...Day II

For day two of Open House Chicago, I started out at the 333 N. Michigan Avenue building. This Art Deco skyscraper is one of four landmarks flanking the Michigan Avenue bridge. I would have visited this building on day one, but they had a line down the block and I refuse to stand in a long line. My visit was to the famous Tavern Club, which back in the day included regulars like architect Frank Lloyd Wright and William Wrigley of Wrigley chewing gum fame. From the Tavern Club roof, I was able to photograph many downtown buildings as the fog rolled in. Some of the stand-out buildings were: The Jewelers Building, London House Hotel, Carbide and Carbon Building, Marina City Towers, Wrigley Building and The Equitable Building and Apple Store. Next up was the Grand Ballroom and staircase inside The School of the Art Institute of Chicago Building (formerly Illinois Athletic Club Building). The staircase was so spectacular, I knew I spent more time there than I really wanted to. But I had to get thee ‘photo’ I came to get.

My next stop was The Cliff Dwellers Club, a private club founded in 1907 as the Attic Club and renamed the Cliff Dwellers in 1909. It moved to the 22nd floor of 200 South Michigan Avenue in 1996 after inhabiting the top floor of neighboring Orchestra Hall for decades. It remains a private club and nonprofit organization for men and women who support the fine and performing arts. The club is a haven for artists, authors, musicians, painters, architects and sculptors. Notable members have included Louis Sullivan, Daniel Burnham, Lorado Taft and Hamlin Garland. From the club’s roof, I was able to photograph Millennium Park as the fog continued to roll in. I also photographed the Art Institute of Chicago Modern Wing as well as the entire Art Institute of Chicago complex.

The last stop of the day was the Seventeenth Church Of Christ, Scientist. Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist was founded in 1924, but it wasn't until 1968 that the church built its first permanent home. The seven-story structure, clad inside and out in travertine, maximizes its prominent six-sided site on the Chicago River. The church auditorium is designed after the layout of a Greek amphitheater. It has a centrally-located wooden podium, and is also home to a 3,316-pipe Aeolian-Skinner organ. The inside of this Church is unbelievable, and I had a great time photographing it!