Welcome to Archigames, wherein nominated local buildings of a particular style are matched up in sudden death pairings to decide the most suitable representative of said style. This week it's Beaux-Arts, and the second of four round one pairings is below. Brush up on the nominees, but always defer to your tastes when casting your vote. Polls close tomorrow at noon. Thanks for playing!
Fast on the heals of our first Beaux Arts matchup comes Lincoln Park's Belden Stratford v. The Loop's Jewelers Building. The Belden Stratford exemplifies the classical grandeur and massing of Beaux Arts architecture. Its stern appearance and manner of presiding over the park resembles Beaux Arts museums and government buildings as much as a hotel-turned-apartment block. The Chicago landmark was built in the early 1920s by Meyer Fridstein and is undergoing its second major renovation.
The Jewelers Building, not to be confused with Adler & Sullivan's "Little" Jewelers Building from the 1880s, was the tallest building in the world outside of New York for a short time after its 1927 completion (it only took 40 stories in those days!). Known for its car elevator that once lifted precious cargo 23 stories to the start of the building's offices, the structure is also celebrated for its ornate cupola (home to Helmut Jahn's studio) and command of the river. Time to launch those votes, this thing is only just beginning!
·Archigames
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