Dome

Detail of the second-floor frieze; Designed with Coydon T. Purdy. In this building, an appropriate exterior aesthetic expression for the then-new, steel-framed skyscraper was found. The facade clearly reveals its underlying structure--with broad windows set in a framework of narrow piers and spandrels. Its open and well-lit interior layout, built around a central light court, significantly influenced the design of modern high-rise commercial structures. The building is named for Jacques Marquette, a French Jesuit missionary and explorer who, in 1674-75, wintered in the area that is now Chicago. The lobby is decorated with mosaic panels made by the Tiffany firm and bronze heads of native Americans, animals, and early explorers. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation [current owners] completed an extensive four year restoration in 2006. A Chicago Landmark, a National Historic Landmark, and a National Register Historic Place. Source: Chicago Landmarks [website]; http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/ (accessed 11/11/2007)