As part of Open House Chicago, we paid a visit to one of the city's lesser-known architectural treasures, a magnificent domed building known as the Elks National Memorial. The brooding neoclassical structure was built in 1926 by the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, a national fraternal order founded 1868, as a tribute to its members who perished in World War I. Architect Egerton Swartwout designed the memorial, which also serves as the national headquarters of the Elks. Inside, an ornate domed ceiling provides a luminous presence overhead. In addition to series of murals and friezes, the memorial's opulent interior features four gilded bronze statues representing the four cardinal virtues of the Elks (charity, justice, brotherly love, and fidelity). The elegant Grand Reception Hall, adjacent to the rotunda, is adorned with intricate woodwork, Oriental rugs, and stained glass windows. In 1950, the memorial served as the backdrop for the film Julius Caesar, which starred a young Charlton Heston as Mark Antony. More recently, it underwent a lengthy renovation, which was completed last spring.
And we're not done yet. We've also assembled shots from a few other choice OHC sites. Be sure to check out a sneak peek of John Ronan's award-winning Poetry Foundation building. Another stop on our journey: Randolph Tower City Apartments, a terra cotta beaut we previously toured in early March. And finishing things off are some views from one of the city's premier nightlife spots, ROOF at theWit Hotel. .
·Elks National Memorial [OHC]
·Touring the Split-Personality Randolph Tower City Apartments [Curbed Chicago]