The Auditorium Theater has Sunk

or has it?

07/13/2011 0:17 AM

By Bonnie McGrath

2 Comments - Add Your Comment


Seating in the Auditorium Theater at about the halfway mark (photos by Bonnie McGrath)



It seems plausible. Adler and Sullivan, by plunking their granite and limestone masterpiece theater down at Congress and Michigan in 1889 across the street from what at one time was the lake, figured that it would sink. And sink good. It's actually set in water. And through the years, according to tour guides who squired members of South Loop Neighbors through the Auditorium Theater Building tonight, it has sunk an angular 21 to 30 inches.


When SLN president Dennis McClendon heard that, he didn't believe it. He felt that Sullivan purposely designed the magnificent mosaic floor to droop down on the north and south sides. He pointed at some trim on some diminutive arched openings in the walls and saw proof--in the dim, atmospheric 1890s lighting within the buidling--that the ramp-like floor was made like that and that no dramatic settling had occurred.

I didn't know what to think--until our group slowly started climbing the stairs of the theater. We visited each level of the seven stories until we reached the top to see the original seats. Part of the way, we climbed through a narrow staircase on the far north side of the theater. I found it quite challenging because the stairs were so tilted northward, it was difficult to walk.

I know Sullivan could be a mean and difficult person, and a drunk. But he couldn't have wanted all the anticipated theatergoers from Chicago and around the world, that the Auditorium Building developer Ferdinand Peck was expecting, to feel drunk on their way up to their seats. Or to feel woozy as they traversed the lobby from the south. Or would he?


2 Comments - Add Your Comment



By Darth from Little Italy
Posted: 07/14/2011 1:44 PM

One of my favorite buildings. I never even though of this until this article. Just thought that\'s how it was supposed to be. Interesting though... could this have been a causal effect from the trimming process to create a sidewalk on Congress? Just throwing that out there (you can tell I\'m not architecturally inclined, etc.) By the by... one is either \"South/West\" of the Loop, NOT in the \"South/West Loop! Thanks.


By Dennis from south loop
Posted: 07/14/2011 11:35 AM

The building has one of the first floating foundations., its a boat. The weight of the tower had to be added on the first floor so as to not capsize the construction