By Robin Wylly McCown
|
It most certainly was a different era, architecturally speaking, in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.
At the time, Lakeview was considered a Chicago suburb and a vacation destination for weary Chicagoans tired of the noise and pollution downtown.
It soon became a destination for city dwellers to live full-time.
Beaux-Arts architecture, known for its classical Greek and Roman influences, was a great inspiration in the early days of design in Lakeview.
Buildings were adorned with a plethora of carved embellishments in stone—Corinthian, Ionic and Doric columns, classic egg and dart motifs, shields of armor, clusters of leaves and bands of garland featuring greenery and fruit—beautifully complemented with tassels and ribbon.
Balustrades, griffins, medallions, mythical beasts, Greek gods and goddesses, birds of pre—and cartouches adorning the tops of doorways—were all the order of the day.
Lake Shore Drive boasted beautiful and richly decorated buildings designed by Robert DeGolyer, Peter J. Weber, McNally & Quinn, and Lawrence G. Hallberg—to name a few. The styles included Gothic, Classical Revival and Beaux Arts—the latter most greatly influenced by the École des Beaux Arts in Paris.
Louis Sullivan believed that ornament was the consummate expression of the architect’s intellect and creative freedom—ideas that would have a great impact on the next generation of architects.
Think we might all agree that such Ornament is something to be cherished and celebrated – in Lakeview and beyond. So take a long walk in the neighborhood—and look upward. |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
