Chicago: Chicago Theatre
Slated for demolition in the 1980s but subsequently saved, this grand 3,800-seat theater has been restored to its former glory. The oldest surviving theater in Chicago, it was designed by Rapp and Rapp in 1921 and originally operated as a vaudeville movie palace.
Along with its Beaux-Arts white terra-cotta façade, the theater has the last remaining cast-iron building front in Chicago. The elaborate decoration of the theater’s marble-columned entrance-way, triumphal arch (inspired by Paris’ Arc de Troimphe) and palatial lobby reflect the opulence of early theater design. The six-story-high “Chicago” sign above the marquee has become a glittering symbol of the city.
Chicago Theater was designated a landmark by the Chicago Department of Planning and Development on January 28, 1983.
Chicago: Chicago Theatre
Slated for demolition in the 1980s but subsequently saved, this grand 3,800-seat theater has been restored to its former glory. The oldest surviving theater in Chicago, it was designed by Rapp and Rapp in 1921 and originally operated as a vaudeville movie palace.
Along with its Beaux-Arts white terra-cotta façade, the theater has the last remaining cast-iron building front in Chicago. The elaborate decoration of the theater’s marble-columned entrance-way, triumphal arch (inspired by Paris’ Arc de Troimphe) and palatial lobby reflect the opulence of early theater design. The six-story-high “Chicago” sign above the marquee has become a glittering symbol of the city.
Chicago Theater was designated a landmark by the Chicago Department of Planning and Development on January 28, 1983.