The Rookery. Completed in 1888. One of the oldest standing high-rises in Chicago, and the site of a tragedy that changed American architecture.
This building was designed by two partners — Daniel Burnham and John Root. Burnham was the businessman — the networker, the schmoozer, the guy who made things happen. Root was the artist — the actual design genius. Together, they were the most important architecture firm in Chicago. They were also best friends.
Look at this building. It's a fortress. Red granite and brick on the outside, Romanesque arches, heavy and serious. But the inside — and if this building is open, you need to go in — the inside is a light-filled atrium with a stunning glass ceiling. Root designed it so natural light would pour into the center of the building. In 1888. Revolutionary.
Now here's the tragedy — in 1891, Burnham and Root were leading the design of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition — the Chicago World's Fair. It was going to be the biggest architectural
project in American history. And then John Root caught pneumonia and died. He was 41 years old.
Burnham finished the fair without him. The fair was a massive success. Burnham became the most famous architect in America. But some historians — and some very bitter architects — have suggested that the fair's designs got significantly more conservative after Root died. That Root was the visionary an
