The Aquitania

The Aquitania
The Aquitania
Location 5000 N. Marine Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60640
Coordinates 41°58′24.74″N 87°39′4.98″W / 41.9735389°N 87.6513833°WCoordinates: 41°58′24.74″N 87°39′4.98″W / 41.9735389°N 87.6513833°W
Built 1923
Architect Harris, Ralph C.; Jillson, Byron H.
Architectural style Classical Revival, Moderne
Governing body Private
NRHP Reference # 02000099 [1]
Added to NRHP March 1, 2002

The Aquitania is a luxury, 82-unit cooperative apartment building in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It is on both the Chicago Register of Historic Places and National Register of Historic Places.

The Aquitania, known legally as the 5000 North Marine Drive Corporation, was built by Ralph C. Harris and Byron H. Jillson in the Classical Revival style. It was developed by George K. Spoor, the co-founder of Essanay Studios, a producer of silent movies in the first decades of the twentieth century. At this time, Chicago rivaled both New York City and Hollywood in film production, and Spoor was able to use his considerable wealth to build an apartment he felt fitting for the stars connected with Chicago's growing entertainment industry.

When the Aquitania was built, it was situated directly on the Lake Michigan shore; subsequent development of both Lake Shore Drive and the lakefront park have moved the shore some distance away. The fifteen-story building has a courtyard and an Art Moderne lobby. Construction was completed in 1923, and it became a cooperative in 1949.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2006-03-15.
  2. ↑ Real estate Housing profiles The Aquitania

External links