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{{Short description|Official seat of government of the City of Chicago and Cook County}} | {{Short description|Official seat of government of the City of Chicago and Cook County}} | ||
{{Use American English|date = November 2019}} | {{Use American English|date = November 2019}} | ||
{{Use mdy dates|date = | {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2025}} | ||
{{Infobox building | {{Infobox building | ||
| name = City Hall-County Building | | name = City Hall-County Building | ||
| native_name = | | native_name = | ||
| native_name_lang = | | native_name_lang = | ||
| logo = | | logo = | ||
| logo_size = | | logo_size = | ||
| logo_alt = | | logo_alt = | ||
| logo_caption = | | logo_caption = | ||
| image = Chicago - Daley Plaza - City Hall.jpg | | image = Chicago - Daley Plaza - City Hall.jpg | ||
| image_size = | | image_size = | ||
| image_alt = | | image_alt = | ||
| image_caption = View from [[Daley Plaza]] (2014) | | image_caption = View from [[Daley Plaza]] (2014) | ||
| map_type = | | map_type = | ||
| map_alt = | | map_alt = | ||
| map_dot_mark = | | map_dot_mark = | ||
| map_dot_label = | | map_dot_label = | ||
| relief = | | relief = | ||
| map_caption = | | map_caption = | ||
| map_size = | | map_size = | ||
| coordinates = | | coordinates = {{Coord|41.88386|N|87.631631|W|display=inline, title}} | ||
| former_names = | | former_names = | ||
| alternate_names = | | alternate_names = | ||
| etymology = | | etymology = | ||
| status = | | status = | ||
| cancelled = | | cancelled = | ||
| topped_out = | | topped_out = | ||
| building_type = | | building_type = | ||
| architectural_style = [[Neoclassical architecture]] | | architectural_style = [[Neoclassical architecture]] | ||
| classification = | | classification = | ||
| location = [[Chicago]] | | location = [[Chicago]] | ||
| address = | | address = | ||
| location_city = | | location_city = | ||
| location_country = | | location_country = | ||
| grid_name = | | grid_name = | ||
| grid_position = | | grid_position = | ||
| altitude = | | altitude = | ||
| current_tenants = | | current_tenants = | ||
| namesake = | | namesake = | ||
| groundbreaking_date = | | groundbreaking_date = | ||
| start_date = | | start_date = | ||
| stop_date = | | stop_date = | ||
| topped_out_date = | | topped_out_date = | ||
| completion_date = {{start date and age|1911}} | | completion_date = {{start date and age|1911}} | ||
| opened_date = | | opened_date = | ||
| inauguration_date = | | inauguration_date = | ||
| relocated_date = | | relocated_date = | ||
| renovation_date = | | renovation_date = | ||
| closing_date = | | closing_date = | ||
| demolition_date = | | demolition_date = | ||
| cost = | | cost = | ||
| ren_cost = | | ren_cost = | ||
| client = | | client = | ||
| owner = | | owner = | ||
| landlord = | | landlord = | ||
| affiliation = | | affiliation = | ||
| height = 218 ft | | height = 218 ft | ||
| architectural = | | architectural = | ||
| tip = | | tip = | ||
| antenna_spire = | | antenna_spire = | ||
| roof = | | roof = | ||
| top_floor = | | top_floor = | ||
| observatory = | | observatory = | ||
| diameter = | | diameter = | ||
| circumference = | | circumference = | ||
| weight = | | weight = | ||
| other_dimensions = | | other_dimensions = | ||
| structural_system = | | structural_system = | ||
| material = | | material = | ||
| size = | | size = | ||
| floor_count = 12 | | floor_count = 12 | ||
| floor_area = 760,000 sq ft | | floor_area = 760,000 sq ft | ||
| elevator_count = | | elevator_count = | ||
| grounds_area = | | grounds_area = | ||
| architect = [[Holabird & Roche]] | | architect = [[Holabird & Roche]] | ||
| architecture_firm = | | architecture_firm = | ||
| developer = | | developer = | ||
| engineer = | | engineer = | ||
| structural_engineer = | | structural_engineer = | ||
| services_engineer = | | services_engineer = | ||
| civil_engineer = | | civil_engineer = | ||
| other_designers = | | other_designers = | ||
| quantity_surveyor = | | quantity_surveyor = | ||
| main_contractor = | | main_contractor = | ||
| awards = | | awards = | ||
| designations = | | designations = | ||
| known_for = | | known_for = | ||
| ren_architect = | | ren_architect = | ||
| ren_firm = | | ren_firm = | ||
| ren_engineer = | | ren_engineer = | ||
| ren_str_engineer = | | ren_str_engineer = | ||
| ren_serv_engineer = | | ren_serv_engineer = | ||
| ren_civ_engineer = | | ren_civ_engineer = | ||
| ren_oth_designers = | | ren_oth_designers = | ||
| ren_qty_surveyor = | | ren_qty_surveyor = | ||
| ren_contractor = | | ren_contractor = | ||
| ren_awards = | | ren_awards = | ||
| parking = | | parking = | ||
| public_transit = | | public_transit = | ||
| website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> | | website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> | ||
| embed = | | embed = | ||
| embedded = | | embedded = | ||
| references = | | references = | ||
| footnotes = | | footnotes = | ||
}} | }} | ||
The '''City Hall-County Building''', commonly known as '''City Hall,''' is a 12-story building in [[Chicago]], Illinois, that houses the [[Seat of government|seats of government]] of the [[Government of Chicago|City of Chicago]] and [[Cook County, Illinois|Cook County]].<ref name=" | The '''City Hall-County Building''', commonly known as '''City Hall,''' is a 12-story building in [[Chicago]], Illinois, that houses the [[Seat of government|seats of government]] of the [[Government of Chicago|City of Chicago]] and [[Cook County, Illinois|Cook County]].<ref name="City of Chicago – Chicago Landmarks">{{Cite web |title=City Hall-County Building |url=https://webapps1.chicago.gov/landmarksweb/web/landmarkdetails.htm?lanId=1277 |access-date=December 10, 2023 |website=City of Chicago – Chicago Landmarks}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Green Roofs on Historic Buildings: City Hall, Chicago, Illinois (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/green-roofs-on-historic-buildings-chicago-city-hall.htm |access-date=December 10, 2023 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref> The building's west side (City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St.)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Contact Us |url=https://www.chicago.gov/content/city/en/general/contact.html |access-date=February 9, 2024 |website=www.chicago.gov |language=en}}</ref> holds the offices of the [[mayor of Chicago|mayor]], [[City Clerk of Chicago|city clerk]], and [[City Treasurer of Chicago|city treasurer]]; some city departments; offices of alderpersons of Chicago's 50 [[Ward (electoral subdivision)|wards]]; and the [[Chicago City Council]]'s chambers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Office of the Mayor |url=https://www.chicago.gov/content/city/en/depts/mayor.html |access-date=December 10, 2023 |website=www.chicago.gov |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Contact Chicago Treasurer's Office {{!}} Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin |url=https://chicagocitytreasurer.com/contact-us/ |access-date=December 10, 2023 |website=Chicago Treasurer's Office {{!}} Melissa Conyears-Ervin – Chicago Treasurer {{!}} CTO {{!}} Chicago Illinois |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ward Offices |url=https://www.chicago.gov/content/city/en/depts/other/dataset/wards.html |access-date=December 10, 2023 |website=www.chicago.gov |language=en}}</ref> The building's east side (County Building, 118 N. Clark St.)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cook County Facilities – County Building |url=https://maps.cookcountyil.gov/cookfacility/ |access-date=February 8, 2024 |website=cookcountyil.gov}}</ref> houses offices of the [[Government of Cook County, Illinois|Government of Cook County]], including the [[Cook County Board of Commissioners]]' chambers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 12, 2023 |title=Secretary to the Board of Commissioners |url=https://www.cookcountyil.gov/agency/secretary-board-commissioners |access-date=December 10, 2023 |website=www.cookcountyil.gov |language=en}}</ref> | ||
The building spans a city block bounded by [[Randolph Street (Chicago)|Randolph Street]] to the north, Washington Street to the south, [[Clark Street (Chicago)|Clark Street]] to the east, and [[LaSalle Street]] to the west.<ref>{{Cite web |title=9. First floor plan, published in 'Architectural Record', Vol 31, No. 4, April 1912, p 356, courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago | The building spans a city block bounded by [[Randolph Street (Chicago)|Randolph Street]] to the north, Washington Street to the south, [[Clark Street (Chicago)|Clark Street]] to the east, and [[LaSalle Street]] to the west.<ref>{{Cite web |title=9. First floor plan, published in 'Architectural Record', Vol 31, No. 4, April 1912, p 356, courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago – Chicago City Hall, 121 North LaSalle Street, Chicago, Cook County, IL |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.il0439.photos/?sp=9 |access-date=December 10, 2023 |website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA}}</ref> It is the seventh building to serve as Chicago's city hall, the fourth built at its location, and the third shared by the governments of Chicago and Cook County.<ref name="WTTW Chicago 2013a">{{Cite web |date=November 22, 2013 |title=CHICAGO'S SEVEN CITY HALLS |url=https://interactive.wttw.com/timemachine/chicago%E2%80%99s-seven-city-halls |access-date=December 10, 2023 |website=WTTW Chicago |language=en}}</ref><ref name="WTTW Chicago 2013b">{{Cite web |date=December 2, 2013 |title=Then and Now: Chicago's City Halls |url=https://interactive.wttw.com/timemachine/then-and-now/city-halls |access-date=December 10, 2023 |website=WTTW Chicago |language=en}}</ref> Its location has served as the seat of the city and county governments since 1853, except for a period from 1871—when the [[Great Chicago Fire]] destroyed the building—to 1885.<ref name="WTTW Chicago 2013a" /><ref name="WTTW Chicago 2013b" /> | ||
The building was designed by the architectural firm [[Holabird & Roche]] in the [[neoclassicism|classical revival]] style.<ref name=" | The building was designed by the architectural firm [[Holabird & Roche]] in the [[neoclassicism|classical revival]] style.<ref name="City of Chicago – Chicago Landmarks" /> Its two sections were finished three years apart: the county building (east) was completed in 1908; the city hall (west) was completed in 1911.<ref name="City of Chicago – Chicago Landmarks" /> It was officially dedicated on February 27, 1911.<ref name="Viehe-Naess 1981">{{Cite web |last=Viehe-Naess |first=Ivan |date=September 1, 1981 |title=Chicago City Hall |url=https://memory.loc.gov/master/pnp/habshaer/il/il0400/il0439/data/il0439data.pdf |access-date=December 10, 2023 |website=Library of Congress |series=America's City Halls |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref> | ||
The "fifth floor" is sometimes used as a [[metonym]] for the office and power of the mayor, whose office is located on the fifth floor of the building.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shepard |first=Steven |title=Black women make history in Chicago mayoral election |url=https://politi.co/2IOMGOu |access-date=2019 | The "fifth floor" is sometimes used as a [[metonym]] for the office and power of the mayor, whose office is located on the fifth floor of the building.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shepard |first=Steven |title=Black women make history in Chicago mayoral election |url=https://politi.co/2IOMGOu |access-date=February 27, 2019 |language=en}}</ref> | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
[[File:Court House Square (NBY 1813).jpg|thumb|City Hall in Court House square ('Old Chicago Courthouse') in 1866, destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871]] | [[File:Court House Square (NBY 1813).jpg|thumb|City Hall in Court House square ('Old Chicago Courthouse') in 1866, destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871]] | ||
[[File:Long and narrow elevations of sixth City Hall,August 18,1908 - Chicago City Hall, 121 North LaSalle Street, Chicago, Cook County, IL HABS ILL,16-CHIG,94-12.tif|thumb|The 6th city hall building ( | [[File:Long and narrow elevations of sixth City Hall,August 18,1908 - Chicago City Hall, 121 North LaSalle Street, Chicago, Cook County, IL HABS ILL,16-CHIG,94-12.tif|thumb|The 6th city hall building (1886–1905) in the French Empire style was quickly outgrown]] | ||
=== Past | === Past buildings (1837–1908) === | ||
The first Chicago City Hall in 1837 was in leased chambers in the Saloon Building on the corner of Lake and Clark Streets.<ref name=" | The first Chicago City Hall in 1837 was in leased chambers in the Saloon Building on the corner of Lake and Clark Streets.<ref name="WTTW Chicago 2013b" /> The city next leased space in a building owned by Nancy Chapman, from 1842 until 1848, when Old Market Hall was constructed in LaSalle Street.<ref name="Viehe-Naess 1981" /> The city owned market hall held city council business on its second floor, with shops below until 1853. A new combined city hall and county [[courthouse]] was then constructed in the public square made by Randolph, LaSalle, Washington, and Clark Streets (this building, which later burned, is sometimes referred to as, ''Old Chicago Courthouse''). President [[Abraham Lincoln]]'s body [[Lying in state|lay in state]] at the old courthouse city hall prior to [[Funeral and burial of Abraham Lincoln|his burial]] in [[Springfield, Illinois|Springfield]] in 1865.<ref name="WTTW Chicago 2013b" /> The courthouse bell was rung in 1871 to raise the alarm during the [[Great Chicago Fire]] before the hall burned to the ground.<ref name="City" /> | ||
A hastily constructed hall nicknamed the 'old rookery' was built around a water tank that survived the fire at LaSalle and Adams streets—today, that site houses the [[Rookery Building]] (built 1888). In 1885, the city and county completed construction of a new combined building in the French Empire style at the present site (and the site of the old courthouse). This building was demolished and replaced in 1905 by the present and larger classical revival structure.<ref name=City>{{Cite web |url=https://chicagology.com/courthouse/ |title=The City Hall and Courthouse Buildings |website=chicagology.com |language=en-US |access-date=2018 | A hastily constructed hall nicknamed the 'old rookery' was built around a water tank that survived the fire at LaSalle and Adams streets—today, that site houses the [[Rookery Building]] (built 1888). In 1885, the city and county completed construction of a new combined building in the French Empire style at the present site (and the site of the old courthouse). This building was demolished and replaced in 1905 by the present and larger classical revival structure.<ref name=City>{{Cite web |url=https://chicagology.com/courthouse/ |title=The City Hall and Courthouse Buildings |website=chicagology.com |language=en-US |access-date=March 1, 2018}}</ref> | ||
=== Holabird & Roche Building ( | === Holabird & Roche Building (1908–present) === | ||
The city and county jointly sponsored an architectural competition that [[Holabird & Roche]] won by unanimous vote.<ref name=" | The city and county jointly sponsored an architectural competition that [[Holabird & Roche]] won by unanimous vote.<ref name="Viehe-Naess 1981" /> Construction of the county building (east wing) began in 1905, and by 1907 some county offices were already beginning to move in.<ref name="Viehe-Naess 1981" /> Construction of city hall (the west wing) was delayed until 1909 because the city had to wait for the State to increase its borrowing authority.<ref name="Viehe-Naess 1981" /> Despite the delay, the two wings were easily linked together because the builders of the first wing arranged all necessary steel structural connections on its westernmost wall (where the wings meet) in anticipation of the second wing.<ref name="Viehe-Naess 1981" /> Four construction workers died during the demolition of the old building and construction of the new one.<ref name="Viehe-Naess 1981" /> | ||
[[File:Chicago City Hall.jpg|thumb|[[Holabird & Roche]]-designed building shortly before construction was completed in 1911]] | [[File:Chicago City Hall.jpg|thumb|[[Holabird & Roche]]-designed building shortly before construction was completed in 1911]] | ||
The building is distinguished by its colossal, 118 feet-tall, 9 feet-wide [[Woodbury Granite Company|Woodbury granite]] [[Corinthian order | The building is distinguished by its colossal, 118 feet-tall, 9 feet-wide [[Woodbury Granite Company|Woodbury granite]] [[Corinthian order]]s – among the largest ever built.<ref name="Viehe-Naess 1981" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wood |first=Paul |date=August 6, 2007 |title=Woodbury Granite Co.: a rural industrial giant |url=https://www.timesargus.com/news/woodbury-granite-co-a-rural-industrial-giant/article_4b45fb48-aa7f-5589-990b-2f2d1b73b75d.html |access-date=December 10, 2023 |website=Times Argus |language=en}}</ref> The columns are hollow and were built in 5 feet-high segments.<ref name="Viehe-Naess 1981" /> Altogether, the outer walls and orders are clad in 180,000 cubic feet of [[granite]] weighing 30 million pounds.<ref name="Viehe-Naess 1981" /> | ||
The ground floor lobby is clad in solid polished Botticino marble.<ref name=" | The ground floor lobby is clad in solid polished Botticino marble.<ref name="Viehe-Naess 1981" /> | ||
The exterior cornice was removed in 1948 <ref>http://lcweb2.loc.gov/master/pnp/habshaer/il/il0400/il0439/data/il0439data.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}}</ref> and on March 21, 1957, a fire destroyed the original, [[Italian Renaissance revival|Italian Renaissance]]-style City Council Chamber, which featured murals by [[Frederic Clay Bartlett|Frederick Clay Bartlett]] and oak paneling imported from [[England]].<ref name=" | The exterior cornice was removed in 1948 <ref>http://lcweb2.loc.gov/master/pnp/habshaer/il/il0400/il0439/data/il0439data.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}}</ref> and on March 21, 1957, a fire destroyed the original, [[Italian Renaissance revival|Italian Renaissance]]-style City Council Chamber, which featured murals by [[Frederic Clay Bartlett|Frederick Clay Bartlett]] and oak paneling imported from [[England]].<ref name="Viehe-Naess 1981" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=March 22, 1957 |title=CHICAGO CITY HALL DAMAGED BY FIRE; No One Injured as Firemen Rescue Trapped Women-- Loss Set at $200,000 |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1957/03/22/archives/chicago-city-hall-damaged-by-fire-no-one-injured-as-firemen-rescue.html |access-date=December 10, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> A completely remodeled, contemporary-style chamber reopened in 1958.<ref name="Viehe-Naess 1981" />[[File:Daley Plaza 060716.jpg|thumb|The City Hall-County Building and the [[Chicago Picasso]] as seen from [[Daley Plaza]] (2006)]]During a major renovation project initiated in 1967, seventy-five percent of the interior of the building from basement to roof was renovated, including new suspended ceilings, partitions, flooring, lighting, wall finishes, bathrooms and boilers.<ref name="Viehe-Naess 1981" /> The renovation was overseen by the Office of the City Architect with [[Holabird & Root]] serving as consulting architect.<ref name="Viehe-Naess 1981" /> | ||
The adjacent [[Richard J. Daley Center]] was constructed as an annex in the 1960s as the city and county governments outgrew the city hall-county building.<ref name=" | The adjacent [[Richard J. Daley Center]] was constructed as an annex in the 1960s as the city and county governments outgrew the city hall-county building.<ref name="Viehe-Naess 1981" /> | ||
Holabird & Roche (later known as [[Holabird & Root]]) also designed the [[The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company|Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co.]] building at 720 E Wisconsin Avenue in [[Milwaukee]].<ref name=" | Holabird & Roche (later known as [[Holabird & Root]]) also designed the [[The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company|Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co.]] building at 720 E Wisconsin Avenue in [[Milwaukee]].<ref name="Wisconsin Historical Society 2012">{{Cite web |date=January 1, 2012 |title=720 E WISCONSIN AVE {{!}} Property Record |url=https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Property/HI16184 |access-date=December 26, 2024 |website=[[Wisconsin Historical Society]] |language=en}}</ref> The Northwestern Mutual Life Building, which opened in 1914, bears striking similarity to Chicago City Hall, particularly its five-story colonnade and three grand entryways.<ref name="Wisconsin Historical Society 2012" /> | ||
==Features== | ==Features== | ||
=== Entrance | === Entrance reliefs === | ||
The main (west) City Hall entrance features four [[ | The main (west) City Hall entrance features four [[relief]]s sculpted by [[John Flanagan (sculptor)|John Flanagan]].<ref name="Reardon 2004">{{Cite web |last=Reardon |first=Patrick T. |date=July 27, 2004 |title=Street smarts |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2004-07-27-0407270046-story.html |access-date=January 10, 2024 |website=Chicago Tribune}}</ref> Each of the panels represents one of four principal concerns of city government: playgrounds, schools, parks, and water supply.<ref name="Reardon 2004" /> | ||
The main (east) County Building entrance features four additional [[Relief#High relief|high reliefs]]: a man studying a scroll; a man holding a [[sailing ship]] and fishing net; and two near-identical reliefs depicting an older version of the county seal flanked by two young men.<ref name=" | The main (east) County Building entrance features four additional [[Relief#High relief|high reliefs]]: a man studying a scroll; a man holding a [[sailing ship]] and fishing net; and two near-identical reliefs depicting an older version of the county seal flanked by two young men.<ref name="City of Chicago – Chicago Landmarks" /><gallery mode="packed" caption="City Hall Reliefs"> | ||
File:Chicago City Hall (51575574600).jpg | File:Chicago City Hall (51575574600).jpg | ||
File:Relief sculpture panel, Chicago City Hall, Chicago, early 20th century (NBY 605).jpg|alt= | File:Relief sculpture panel, Chicago City Hall, Chicago, early 20th century (NBY 605).jpg|alt= | ||
| Line 155: | Line 154: | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
===Green | ===Green roof=== | ||
In 2001, {{convert|38800|sqft}} roof gardens were completed atop the west wing serving as a pilot project to assess the impact green roofs would have on the [[heat island]] effect in urban areas, rainwater runoff, and the effectiveness of differing types of [[green roof]]s and plant species for Chicago's climate.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}} Although the rooftop is not normally accessible to the public, it is visually accessible from 33 taller buildings in the area. The Garden consists of 20,000 plants of more than 150 species, including shrubs, vines and two trees. The green roof design team was headed by the Chicago area firm [http://www.cdfinc.com/Project?project_id=24 Conservation Design Forum] in conjunction with noted "green" architect [[William McDonough]]. With an abundance of flowering plants on the rooftop, beekeepers harvest approximately {{convert|200|lb|kg}} of honey each year from hives installed on the rooftop. Tours of the green roof are by special arrangement only. The Chicago City Hall Green Roof won the Merit Design Award of the American Society of Landscape Architecture (ASLA) competition in 2002. | In 2001, {{convert|38800|sqft}} roof gardens were completed atop the west wing serving as a pilot project to assess the impact green roofs would have on the [[heat island]] effect in urban areas, rainwater runoff, and the effectiveness of differing types of [[green roof]]s and plant species for Chicago's climate.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}} Although the rooftop is not normally accessible to the public, it is visually accessible from 33 taller buildings in the area. The Garden consists of 20,000 plants of more than 150 species, including shrubs, vines and two trees. The green roof design team was headed by the Chicago area firm [http://www.cdfinc.com/Project?project_id=24 Conservation Design Forum] in conjunction with noted "green" architect [[William McDonough]]. With an abundance of flowering plants on the rooftop, beekeepers harvest approximately {{convert|200|lb|kg}} of honey each year from hives installed on the rooftop. Tours of the green roof are by special arrangement only. The Chicago City Hall Green Roof won the Merit Design Award of the American Society of Landscape Architecture (ASLA) competition in 2002. | ||
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File:20080708 Chicago City Hall Green Roof.JPG|[[Roof garden]] atop city hall | File:20080708 Chicago City Hall Green Roof.JPG|[[Roof garden]] atop city hall | ||
File:Chicago City Hall interior.jpg|Botticino marble lobby | File:Chicago City Hall interior.jpg|Botticino marble lobby | ||
File:Nationalgeograph351919nat.pdf|page=39|City Hall-County Building as seen in the January 1919 issue of [[National Geographic Magazine|''National Geographic'']] | File:Nationalgeograph351919nat.pdf|page=39|City Hall-County Building as seen in the January 1919 issue of [[National Geographic Magazine|''National Geographic'']] | ||
File:Fasces on City Hall Chicago.jpg|A [[fasces]] above an entrance | File:Fasces on City Hall Chicago.jpg|A [[fasces]] decoration above an entrance | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
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The exterior and parts of the interior of the building were featured in the climax of the 1980 comedy film ''[[The Blues Brothers (film)|The Blues Brothers]]'', in which the titular characters, Jake and Elwood Blues, race to the building to beat a property tax deadline while being chased by police officers, firefighters, and the U.S. Military.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}} | The exterior and parts of the interior of the building were featured in the climax of the 1980 comedy film ''[[The Blues Brothers (film)|The Blues Brothers]]'', in which the titular characters, Jake and Elwood Blues, race to the building to beat a property tax deadline while being chased by police officers, firefighters, and the U.S. Military.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}} | ||
The building's interiors of were featured in the 1993 blockbuster movie ''[[The Fugitive (1993 film)|The Fugitive]]'', where Richard Kimble (played by [[Harrison Ford]]) is chased down the stairs by U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard ([[Tommy Lee Jones]]), until spilling into the lobby, where Kimble narrowly escapes being apprehended by Gerard and his men.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://chicago.curbed.com/maps/the-fugitives-chicago-locations-mapped-for-st-patricks-day |title = Here Now, Every Chicago Location in The Fugitive Mapped | The building's interiors of were featured in the 1993 blockbuster movie ''[[The Fugitive (1993 film)|The Fugitive]]'', where Richard Kimble (played by [[Harrison Ford]]) is chased down the stairs by U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard ([[Tommy Lee Jones]]), until spilling into the lobby, where Kimble narrowly escapes being apprehended by Gerard and his men.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://chicago.curbed.com/maps/the-fugitives-chicago-locations-mapped-for-st-patricks-day |title = Here Now, Every Chicago Location in The Fugitive Mapped – Curbed Chicago| date=March 13, 2015 }}</ref> | ||
==Agencies== | ==Agencies== | ||
[[File:Secretary Kerry Departs Chicago Mayor Emanuel's Office After Their Meeting (30500010211).jpg|thumb|"The Fifth Floor", [[John Kerry]] leaving the mayor's office (2016)]] | [[File:Secretary Kerry Departs Chicago Mayor Emanuel's Office After Their Meeting (30500010211).jpg|thumb|"The Fifth Floor", [[John Kerry]] leaving the mayor's office (2016)]] | ||
The Following Agencies are located in the building: | The Following Agencies are located in the building: | ||
* Elected Offices: | |||
*Elected Offices: | ** [[Mayor of Chicago|Office of the Mayor]] – 5th Floor | ||
**[[Mayor of Chicago|Office of the Mayor]] | *** Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities | ||
***Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities | ** [[Chicago City Council|City Council]] – 2nd Floor (Council Chambers) | ||
**[[Chicago City Council|City Council]] | ** [[City Clerk of Chicago|City Clerk]] – 1st Floor | ||
**[[City Clerk of Chicago|City Clerk]] | ** [[City Treasurer of Chicago|Treasurer]] – Room 106 | ||
**[[City Treasurer of Chicago|Treasurer]] | * Buildings Department – Room 900 | ||
*Buildings Department | * Department of Finance – 7th Floor | ||
*Department of Finance | * Department of Law – Suite 600 | ||
*Department of Law | * Business Affairs and Consumer Protection – 8th Floor | ||
*Business Affairs and Consumer Protection | * Department of Planning and Development – 10th Floor | ||
*Department of Planning and Development | * Department of Streets and Sanitation – Room 1107 | ||
*Department of Streets and Sanitation | * Office of Emergency Management and Communications | ||
*Office of Emergency Management and Communications | * Department of Procurement Services – Room 806 | ||
*Department of Procurement Services | * Department Human Resources | ||
*Department Human Resources | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
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{{Authority control}} | {{Authority control}} | ||
[[Category:1911 establishments in Illinois]] | |||
[[Category:Central Chicago]] | |||
[[Category:Chicago Landmarks]] | |||
[[Category:City and town halls in Illinois]] | [[Category:City and town halls in Illinois]] | ||
[[Category:Government buildings completed in 1911]] | |||
[[Category:Government buildings in Chicago|City Hall]] | [[Category:Government buildings in Chicago|City Hall]] | ||
[[Category:Government of Chicago|City Hall]] | [[Category:Government of Chicago|City Hall]] | ||
[[Category:Government | [[Category:Government of Cook County, Illinois]] | ||
[[Category:Projects by Holabird & Root]] | |||
[[Category:Skyscraper office buildings in Chicago|City Hall]] | [[Category:Skyscraper office buildings in Chicago|City Hall]] | ||
Latest revision as of 13:45, 26 October 2025
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The City Hall-County Building, commonly known as City Hall, is a 12-story building in Chicago, Illinois, that houses the seats of government of the City of Chicago and Cook County.[1][2] The building's west side (City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St.)[3] holds the offices of the mayor, city clerk, and city treasurer; some city departments; offices of alderpersons of Chicago's 50 wards; and the Chicago City Council's chambers.[4][5][6] The building's east side (County Building, 118 N. Clark St.)[7] houses offices of the Government of Cook County, including the Cook County Board of Commissioners' chambers.[8]
The building spans a city block bounded by Randolph Street to the north, Washington Street to the south, Clark Street to the east, and LaSalle Street to the west.[9] It is the seventh building to serve as Chicago's city hall, the fourth built at its location, and the third shared by the governments of Chicago and Cook County.[10][11] Its location has served as the seat of the city and county governments since 1853, except for a period from 1871—when the Great Chicago Fire destroyed the building—to 1885.[10][11]
The building was designed by the architectural firm Holabird & Roche in the classical revival style.[1] Its two sections were finished three years apart: the county building (east) was completed in 1908; the city hall (west) was completed in 1911.[1] It was officially dedicated on February 27, 1911.[12]
The "fifth floor" is sometimes used as a metonym for the office and power of the mayor, whose office is located on the fifth floor of the building.[13]
History
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Past buildings (1837–1908)
The first Chicago City Hall in 1837 was in leased chambers in the Saloon Building on the corner of Lake and Clark Streets.[11] The city next leased space in a building owned by Nancy Chapman, from 1842 until 1848, when Old Market Hall was constructed in LaSalle Street.[12] The city owned market hall held city council business on its second floor, with shops below until 1853. A new combined city hall and county courthouse was then constructed in the public square made by Randolph, LaSalle, Washington, and Clark Streets (this building, which later burned, is sometimes referred to as, Old Chicago Courthouse). President Abraham Lincoln's body lay in state at the old courthouse city hall prior to his burial in Springfield in 1865.[11] The courthouse bell was rung in 1871 to raise the alarm during the Great Chicago Fire before the hall burned to the ground.[14]
A hastily constructed hall nicknamed the 'old rookery' was built around a water tank that survived the fire at LaSalle and Adams streets—today, that site houses the Rookery Building (built 1888). In 1885, the city and county completed construction of a new combined building in the French Empire style at the present site (and the site of the old courthouse). This building was demolished and replaced in 1905 by the present and larger classical revival structure.[14]
Holabird & Roche Building (1908–present)
The city and county jointly sponsored an architectural competition that Holabird & Roche won by unanimous vote.[12] Construction of the county building (east wing) began in 1905, and by 1907 some county offices were already beginning to move in.[12] Construction of city hall (the west wing) was delayed until 1909 because the city had to wait for the State to increase its borrowing authority.[12] Despite the delay, the two wings were easily linked together because the builders of the first wing arranged all necessary steel structural connections on its westernmost wall (where the wings meet) in anticipation of the second wing.[12] Four construction workers died during the demolition of the old building and construction of the new one.[12]
The building is distinguished by its colossal, 118 feet-tall, 9 feet-wide Woodbury granite Corinthian orders – among the largest ever built.[12][15] The columns are hollow and were built in 5 feet-high segments.[12] Altogether, the outer walls and orders are clad in 180,000 cubic feet of granite weighing 30 million pounds.[12]
The ground floor lobby is clad in solid polished Botticino marble.[12]
The exterior cornice was removed in 1948 [16] and on March 21, 1957, a fire destroyed the original, Italian Renaissance-style City Council Chamber, which featured murals by Frederick Clay Bartlett and oak paneling imported from England.[12][17] A completely remodeled, contemporary-style chamber reopened in 1958.[12]
During a major renovation project initiated in 1967, seventy-five percent of the interior of the building from basement to roof was renovated, including new suspended ceilings, partitions, flooring, lighting, wall finishes, bathrooms and boilers.[12] The renovation was overseen by the Office of the City Architect with Holabird & Root serving as consulting architect.[12]
The adjacent Richard J. Daley Center was constructed as an annex in the 1960s as the city and county governments outgrew the city hall-county building.[12]
Holabird & Roche (later known as Holabird & Root) also designed the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. building at 720 E Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee.[18] The Northwestern Mutual Life Building, which opened in 1914, bears striking similarity to Chicago City Hall, particularly its five-story colonnade and three grand entryways.[18]
Features
Entrance reliefs
The main (west) City Hall entrance features four reliefs sculpted by John Flanagan.[19] Each of the panels represents one of four principal concerns of city government: playgrounds, schools, parks, and water supply.[19]
The main (east) County Building entrance features four additional high reliefs: a man studying a scroll; a man holding a sailing ship and fishing net; and two near-identical reliefs depicting an older version of the county seal flanked by two young men.[1]
- City Hall Reliefs
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- County Building Reliefs
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Green roof
In 2001, Script error: No such module "convert". roof gardens were completed atop the west wing serving as a pilot project to assess the impact green roofs would have on the heat island effect in urban areas, rainwater runoff, and the effectiveness of differing types of green roofs and plant species for Chicago's climate.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Although the rooftop is not normally accessible to the public, it is visually accessible from 33 taller buildings in the area. The Garden consists of 20,000 plants of more than 150 species, including shrubs, vines and two trees. The green roof design team was headed by the Chicago area firm Conservation Design Forum in conjunction with noted "green" architect William McDonough. With an abundance of flowering plants on the rooftop, beekeepers harvest approximately Script error: No such module "convert". of honey each year from hives installed on the rooftop. Tours of the green roof are by special arrangement only. The Chicago City Hall Green Roof won the Merit Design Award of the American Society of Landscape Architecture (ASLA) competition in 2002.
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Roof garden atop city hall
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Botticino marble lobby
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City Hall-County Building as seen in the January 1919 issue of National Geographic
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A fasces decoration above an entrance
In media
The exterior and parts of the interior of the building were featured in the climax of the 1980 comedy film The Blues Brothers, in which the titular characters, Jake and Elwood Blues, race to the building to beat a property tax deadline while being chased by police officers, firefighters, and the U.S. Military.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
The building's interiors of were featured in the 1993 blockbuster movie The Fugitive, where Richard Kimble (played by Harrison Ford) is chased down the stairs by U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones), until spilling into the lobby, where Kimble narrowly escapes being apprehended by Gerard and his men.[20]
Agencies
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The Following Agencies are located in the building:
- Elected Offices:
- Office of the Mayor – 5th Floor
- Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities
- City Council – 2nd Floor (Council Chambers)
- City Clerk – 1st Floor
- Treasurer – Room 106
- Office of the Mayor – 5th Floor
- Buildings Department – Room 900
- Department of Finance – 7th Floor
- Department of Law – Suite 600
- Business Affairs and Consumer Protection – 8th Floor
- Department of Planning and Development – 10th Floor
- Department of Streets and Sanitation – Room 1107
- Office of Emergency Management and Communications
- Department of Procurement Services – Room 806
- Department Human Resources
References
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External links
- Chicago Landmarks: City Hall-County Building
- Historic American Buildings Survey: Chicago City Hall, National Park Service, 1981
- ASLA Merit Award 2002: Chicago City Hall Green Roof
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Categories:
- Pages with script errors
- Pages with broken file links
- 1911 establishments in Illinois
- Central Chicago
- Chicago Landmarks
- City and town halls in Illinois
- Government buildings completed in 1911
- Government buildings in Chicago
- Government of Chicago
- Government of Cook County, Illinois
- Projects by Holabird & Root
- Skyscraper office buildings in Chicago