Michigan Avenue (view looking north from Illinois St). 

Image courtesy of The Ryerson and Burnham ArchivesLinks to an external site..

DATE | HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Construction of the Michigan Square Building was completed by the Holabird & Root architectural firm in 1930. The Diana Fountain was also unveiled in the Diana Court in this year.

The Michigan Square Building was a marvelous example of Holabird and Root's style of American Art Deco.

The Art Deco architectural style swept through the United states in the 1920s and 1930s and was a prominent style within Chicago in this time period as well. This style was a major point of success for the Holabird & Root architectural firm.

The Michigan Square Building was a part of the mass-development project of North Michigan Avenue after the Michigan Avenue Bridge was opened in 1920.

Despite being opened in 1930 (nearly a year after the Great Depression began), the Michigan Square Building and the Diana Court were symbols of commerce and grandeur that originated from the 1920s economic boom. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Randall , F. A., & Randall, J. D. (1999). 

The History of Development of Building Construction in Chicago (2nd ed.). Urbana and Chicago: University Of Illinois Press.

Stamper, J. W. (2005).

North Michigan Avenue: a building book from the Chicago Historical Society. San Francisco, CA: Pomegranate.

Stamper, J. W. (1991). 

Chicago's North Michigan Avenue: Planning and Development, 1900-1930. Chicago, IL: University Of Chicago Press.