A "Chicago in Stone and Clay" Companion, Part US-B: Essay in Imperial Stone | Union Station (1925)
This series complements my award-winning guidebook, Chicago in Stone and Clay: A Guide to the Windy City's Architectural Geology. Henceforth I'll just call it CSC.
The CSC section and page reference for the building featured here: 9.2; pp. 142-144.
A detail of the Waiting Room.
Here both the lower walls and Composite Order columns are clad in Quaternary-age Tivoli Travertine. This limestone formed in hot springs east of Rome, Italy, and was much used by ancient Imperial as well as modern architects.
On magnification the pitted texture of the Tivoli becomes especially apparent. These small holes or vugs began as air bubbles trapped in the precipitating calcite matrix. They certainly give the stone a striking texture.
Following pictures in this series will show this famous building material at closer range.
For more on this site, get and read Chicago in Stone and Clay, described at its Cornell University Press webpage.
The other photos and discussions in this series can be found in my "Chicago in Stone and Clay" Companion album. In addition, you'll find other relevant images and descriptions in my Architectural Geology: Chicago album.
A "Chicago in Stone and Clay" Companion, Part US-B: Essay in Imperial Stone | Union Station (1925)
This series complements my award-winning guidebook, Chicago in Stone and Clay: A Guide to the Windy City's Architectural Geology. Henceforth I'll just call it CSC.
The CSC section and page reference for the building featured here: 9.2; pp. 142-144.
A detail of the Waiting Room.
Here both the lower walls and Composite Order columns are clad in Quaternary-age Tivoli Travertine. This limestone formed in hot springs east of Rome, Italy, and was much used by ancient Imperial as well as modern architects.
On magnification the pitted texture of the Tivoli becomes especially apparent. These small holes or vugs began as air bubbles trapped in the precipitating calcite matrix. They certainly give the stone a striking texture.
Following pictures in this series will show this famous building material at closer range.
For more on this site, get and read Chicago in Stone and Clay, described at its Cornell University Press webpage.
The other photos and discussions in this series can be found in my "Chicago in Stone and Clay" Companion album. In addition, you'll find other relevant images and descriptions in my Architectural Geology: Chicago album.