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Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building

 
Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building

 
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Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building
 
 
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The Sullivan Center (formerly known as the Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building or Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Store) is a commercial building at 1 South State Street
State Street (Chicago)

State Street is a major north-south thoroughfare in Chicago, Illinois, Illinois, United States. It begins on the Near North Side, Chicago at Illinois Route 64....
 in Chicago, Illinois. A Chicago Landmark
Chicago Landmark

Chicago Landmark is a designation of the Mayor of Chicago and the Chicago City Council for historic buildings and other sites in Chicago, Illinois, United States....
, the building was designed by Louis Sullivan
Louis Sullivan

Louis Henri Sullivan was an United States architect, and has been called the "father of modern architecture." He is considered by many as the creator of the modern skyscraper, was an influential architect and critic of the Chicago school , was a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright, and an inspiration to the Chicago group of architects who have come...
, built in 1899 for the retail firm Schlesinger & Meyer, and expanded and sold to Carson Pirie Scott
Carson Pirie Scott

Carson Pirie Scott & Co., known informally as Carson's, is a chain of traditional department stores that have been in business for over 150 years....
 in 1904. The building was part of the Loop Retail Historic District
Loop Retail Historic District

Loop Retail Historic District is a shopping district within the Chicago Loop Community areas of Chicago in , United States. It is bounded by Lake Street to the north, Congress Parkway to the south, State Street to the west and Wabash Avenue to the east....
. It was used for retail purposes from 1899 until 2007.

building is remarkable for its steel structure, which allowed a dramatic increase in window area, which in turn allowed more daylight into the building interiors, and provided larger displays of merchandise to outside pedestrian traffic.






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The Sullivan Center (formerly known as the Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building or Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Store) is a commercial building at 1 South State Street
State Street (Chicago)

State Street is a major north-south thoroughfare in Chicago, Illinois, Illinois, United States. It begins on the Near North Side, Chicago at Illinois Route 64....
 in Chicago, Illinois. A Chicago Landmark
Chicago Landmark

Chicago Landmark is a designation of the Mayor of Chicago and the Chicago City Council for historic buildings and other sites in Chicago, Illinois, United States....
, the building was designed by Louis Sullivan
Louis Sullivan

Louis Henri Sullivan was an United States architect, and has been called the "father of modern architecture." He is considered by many as the creator of the modern skyscraper, was an influential architect and critic of the Chicago school , was a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright, and an inspiration to the Chicago group of architects who have come...
, built in 1899 for the retail firm Schlesinger & Meyer, and expanded and sold to Carson Pirie Scott
Carson Pirie Scott

Carson Pirie Scott & Co., known informally as Carson's, is a chain of traditional department stores that have been in business for over 150 years....
 in 1904. The building was part of the Loop Retail Historic District
Loop Retail Historic District

Loop Retail Historic District is a shopping district within the Chicago Loop Community areas of Chicago in , United States. It is bounded by Lake Street to the north, Congress Parkway to the south, State Street to the west and Wabash Avenue to the east....
. It was used for retail purposes from 1899 until 2007.

Architecture

The building is remarkable for its steel structure, which allowed a dramatic increase in window area, which in turn allowed more daylight into the building interiors, and provided larger displays of merchandise to outside pedestrian traffic. The lavish cast-iron ornamental work above the rounded tower was also meant to be functional. Sullivan designed the corner entry to be seen from both State and Madison, and that the ornamentation, situated above the ,.mlml,;l,pl,;,entrance, would be literally attractive. The building is one of the classic structures of the Chicago school
Chicago school (architecture)

Architecture of Chicago is famous throughout the world and one style is referred to as the Chicago School. The style is also known as Commercial style....
. The ornate decorative panels on the lowest stories of the building are now generally credited to George Grant Elmslie who was Sullivan's chief draftsman after Frank Lloyd Wright left the firm. When Elmslie left the firm himself the same distinct intricate scrollwork panels left with him and appear in his own designs; and Sullivan's style proceeds elsewhere.

Recently

The Carson Pirie Scott building was briefly featured in the 1988 horror film Child's Play
Child's Play

Child's Play is a American horror film written by Don Mancini and directed by Tom Holland . It was released on November 9, 1988. The film met with moderate success upon its release, and has since developed a cult following among fans of the horror film genre....
, as the place where Andy Barclay's mother works. Carson's signage can be found during the scene where Karen Barclay buys the Good Guy doll from the homeless peddler.

In August 2006, the parent company of Carson Pirie Scott (Bon-Ton Stores Inc.) announced that after the Christmas 2006 season, the department store business in the building would be closed. There were no immediate announcements as to what new use the building will be converted to. Carson's closed the building in February 2007. The building, now renamed the Sullivan Center, is currently in the midst of a redevelopment by Joseph Freed & Associates, a real estate developer based in Palatine, Illinois. A 2001 report put the budget at $68.9 million.

Current tenants include School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Gensler
Gensler

Gensler is a global design firm and architecture firm headquartered in San Francisco with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, Chicago, London, Dubai, Shanghai and other cities....
.

Further reading

  • Siry, Joseph M. Carson Pirie Scott: Louis Sullivan and the Chicago Department Store. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1988. ISBN 0-226-76136-3


See also

  • Chicago architecture
    Chicago architecture

    The architecture of Chicago has influenced and reflected the history of American architecture. The city of Chicago, Illinois features prominent buildings in a variety of styles by many important architects....
  • National Historic Landmark
    National Historic Landmark

    A National Historic Landmark is a building, :wiktionary:site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States for its historical significance....