Aquila Court Building
Encyclopedia
The Aquila Court Building, formerly known as the Sheraton Omaha, and presently known as the Magnolia Hotel, is located at 1615 Howard Street in downtown
Omaha, Nebraska
. Built in 1923, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1974.
, the Aquila Court Building was built in a "U" shape and designed after the Bargello
in Italy
. The faces of George and Aquila Cook were emblazoned on the front of the building. A mixed-use building from its inception, the building's interior courtyard featured extensive landscape gardening. The original garden design resembled an Italian formal garden with stone paths, pools with goldfish
, canals and numerous plants. A four-story building, the original design included court-level commercial space and studio apartments, as well as office space.
The building has undergone several major renovations. In 1972 the gardens were removed and completely covered with marble
slabs and fountains. In 1996 it was renovated by the Sheraton
corporation and in 2006 by the Magnolia Hotels chain.
Downtown Omaha
Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, and is located in Omaha, Nebraska. The boundaries are 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and the centerline of Leavenworth Street on the south to the centerline...
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
. Built in 1923, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1974.
About
Designed by architectural firm Holabird and Roach for capitalists Charles and Raymond Cook of ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, the Aquila Court Building was built in a "U" shape and designed after the Bargello
Bargello
The Bargello, also known as the Bargello Palace or Palazzo del Popolo is a former barracks and prison, now an art museum, in Florence, Italy.-Terminology:...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The faces of George and Aquila Cook were emblazoned on the front of the building. A mixed-use building from its inception, the building's interior courtyard featured extensive landscape gardening. The original garden design resembled an Italian formal garden with stone paths, pools with goldfish
Goldfish
The goldfish is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated, and is one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish....
, canals and numerous plants. A four-story building, the original design included court-level commercial space and studio apartments, as well as office space.
The building has undergone several major renovations. In 1972 the gardens were removed and completely covered with marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
slabs and fountains. In 1996 it was renovated by the Sheraton
Sheraton Hotels and Resorts
Sheraton Hotels and Resorts is Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's largest and second oldest brand . Starwood's headquarters are in White Plains, New York.-Sheraton history:...
corporation and in 2006 by the Magnolia Hotels chain.