Monadnock Building

Chicago, United States

Exterior only

Visible from the street; the inside is private.

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The Monadnock Building is a 16-story skyscraper at 53 West Jackson Boulevard in Chicago's south Loop, designed by the pioneering firm Burnham & Root and built beginning in 1891. At 215 feet, it remains the tallest load-bearing brick or masonry structure ever constructed, and introduced both the first portal system of wind bracing in the United States and the first structural use of aluminum in building construction through its ornamental staircases. The north half, completed in 1891, features an unornamented vertical mass of purple-brown brick with projecting oriel windows; the south half, designed by Holabird & Roche and finished in 1893, adopts a more traditionally ornate style while maintaining visual continuity. When completed, it was the world's largest office building and catalyzed development of the southern Loop as a business center. The building underwent a landmark 1979 restoration to its original condition, recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the nation's top restoration projects, and now houses independent professional firms in offices ranging from 250 to 6,000 square feet.

Architect

Burnham and Root

Movement

Chicago School

Built: 1891
Type: tower block
Heritage: National Register of Historic Places listed place, Chicago Landmark
Place: Chicago, United States

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Location

41.87801, -87.62944