This historic building, designed by Louis Sullivan, was built in 1899. It is known, among other things, for its distinctive cast iron facade. Located in the State Street shopping district, it housed the Carson Pirie Scott department store from 1904-2006. Today it has been restored and houses a Target in part of the space.
Inside the Target, on the exterior of the escalator bank (near the pharmacy section and the restaurant) there is a series of signs detailing some of the preservation efforts, including how the original columns were preserved and adapted to be part of a Target.
On Madison Street, east of the Target entrance, there is an entrance to the non-Target portion of the building where the Sullivan-designed railing can be seen.
From the Chicago Architecture Center:
The Schlesinger & Mayer Department Store commissioned Louis Sullivan to design a new building at State and Madison in 1898, and it expanded over the next few years, growing dramatically along with the surrounding city. Post-and-lintel steel skeletal construction contributed to the building’s fireproofing and offered expansive, light-filled interiors. Its white terra cotta facade has a tripartite division and a collection of Chicago windows. Its grid of piers and spandrels not only expressed the underlying frame but also made seamless expansion easier.
The building’s signature features are marked by Sullivan’s organic ornament, whose design was inspired by plants native to the Midwestern prairie. The bottom floors are clad in dark green cast iron, softened by elaborate foliated patterns. The corner entrance rotunda is emphasized with additional ornament and crowned by a decorative overhanging cornice.
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From the Landmarks Illinois website:
The former Carson Pirie Scott department store, designed by Louis Sullivan in 1898 with additions constructed as late as 1961, was purchased in 2001 by Joseph Freed and Associates.
The decade-long restoration was done in three main phases: restoration of the masonry and terra-cotta; restoration and replacement of the cornice and colonnade; and restoration and reinstallation of the cast-iron façade. The project was completed through a partnership between Joseph Freed and Associates and the City of Chicago, both contributing funding to ensure the success of this project.
The restoration of the Sullivan Center has impacted the Loop community by reviving the economic vitality of the State Street Shopping District, bringing in new tenants to the area, and encouraging successful preservation projects in the area in the future.
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