1889 Auditorium Building

1889 Auditorium Building

The 1889 Auditorium Building (Michigan Avenue and Congress Parkway), designed by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler, is still visited by many Chicagoans and visitors because it houses the Auditorium Theatre, which ranks as one of the city's finest performance spaces.

National Historic Landmark

Statement of Significance (as of designation - May 15, 1975):
Constructed 1886-1889, this structure grew out of Chicago's need for a civic center housing primarily a concert hall and opera house, as well as space for political conventions, charity balls, etc.
Among the most important buildings in the history of modern architecture, it reveals Louis Sullivan's developing ability to solve the aesthetic and functional design problems of tall buildings, and the capacity of Dankmar Adler to overcome engineering obstacles.