ORDINANCE
Commercial National Bank Building 125 South Clark Street
WHEREAS, pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Municipal Code of Chicago (the "Municipal Code"), Sections 2-120-630 through -690, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks (the "Commission") has determined that Commercial National Bank Building (the "Building"), located at 125 S. Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois, legally described in Exhibit A attached hereto and incorporated herein, satisfies two (2) criteria for landmark designation as set forth in Section 2-120-620 (4) and (5) of the Municipal Code; and
WHEREAS, the Building is an early example of a Classical Revival commercial high-rise bank building in the Loop. Completed in 1907, the Building was a precursor to the monumental Classical Revival banks that would form an urban canyon along LaSalle Street by the late 1920s; and
WHEREAS, the Building epitomizes the Classical Revival architectural style utilized for large-scale commercial buildings. The Building's monumental colonnaded base, arcaded capital, and overhanging cornice are all hallmarks of the style; and
WHEREAS, the Building, with its rusticated granite base and giant-order granite columns, exhibits excellent design and craftsmanship in traditional masonry; and
WHEREAS, the Building is the oldest surviving example of a high-rise commercial bank building in Chicago designed by D. H. Burnham & Company, one of the most significant architectural firms in Chicago during the late 19th and early 20th century; and
WHEREAS, the Building epitomizes Daniel H. Burnham's design sensibility for grandly scaled commercial office buildings with Classical Revival detailing. The Building, compared to Burnham's earlier bank buildings including the First National Bank, reflects the firm's evolving ideas on the merging of the iconic temple-front bank buildings with a tripartite commercial high-rise form; and
WHEREAS, Daniel Burnham became a national figure in his role as Director of Works for the 1893 W...
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