Some Art Deco Gems

Well, today we'll go back in time a bit from yesterday's posting and take a look at some of Chicago's art deco heritage. Our first example is from Edgewater Beach, which, unfortunately, didn't photograph well, due to the quite large trees out front. In front, however, you can see the unique reverse arched windows, which I have never seen before in this vintage in Chicago. To the left, the building next door also has a deco flavor, albeit one inspired by prairie and gothic verticality.
Our next example is from the gold coast, and represents what I see as more of a typical - even traditional deco (really more modern, due to lack of ornamentation) townhouse form but in a three-flat. Interestingly, it mimics in scale the older house to the right, which indicates that it might have been a remodel - a dreaded facadectomy even. But a full renovation is more likely. Here we have a rather interesting small apartment building from Lake View. This one is quite ornamented, with a rather unique rusticated stone trim, but at the base and the two center columns. This is paired against the sleek silver metal and glass block entry and the horizontally divided lites in the windows. If you were to peek around the side you would see metal casements along the sides and rear of the building as well. Our last two examples are in Rogers Park - West Rogers Park (or West Ridge if you prefer) along the "Farwell Corridor" as I've dubbed it. I've called it this because of the fine examples of large and grand apartment buildings there. These two large six-flats have wonderful decoation on their blond and yellow-blonde facades. The second one, in particual, has wonderful stonework with a florid deco influence. The interior of this building also, apparently, features much Hollywood Deco inspired detailing, such as doorways and plasterwork.

Even though Chicago really isn't a deco stronghold, we do have some nice, very nice in fact, examples, even among our vernacular housing stock.

The A. N. Rebori Cooperative Apartments

This post dedicated to Mr. Steve Hickson, for his interest in this building.

Street View from Southeast to Northwest

The A. N. Rebori Cooperative Apartments are located in Chicago's Gold Coast, somewhat discreetly tucked away on a street corner. This is a rather unusual building in many respects, and in many regards, is like the architect, Andrew N. Rebori's, other works.

Rebori is best known for his art deco studio apartment buildings just to the west and north of this building, which have quirky, picturesque shapes and plans (and are often, I believe, remodels) along with double-height studio living rooms.

This building does, in fact have the double-height studio living rooms, with double-height windows on the exterior, but clothed in a neo-classical, historicist garb. Also unusual for Chicago are the duplex or maisonette units, that is, units with two stories internally, as can be seen in the plan. All of this is wrapped around a lushly landscaped courtyard garden, secluded by a limestone and red brick colonnade.

As can be seen by an examination of the plans, the entrances are to the sides of the central "gateway" in the center of the wings or middle of the blocks as they project towards the street. At the sides are smaller units and in the northeast corner is a particularly large and grand unit with it's on street entrance off of the avenue. Many of these plan features can be seen later in his art deco "studio" apartment buildings, which are, comparatively, well featured on the web and in publications. The incorporation of service/exit stairs is also quite ingenious, as is the lack of elevators, as one only need climb to the third floor to access the upper units here. A solution which is often used, yet little known, in Chicago

Courtyard View
Vintage view