Postcard - Michigan Square Building - Lobby - Diana Fountain By Carl Milles.
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STYLE: ART DECO
The art deco architectural style swept through the United states in the 1920s and 1930s and was a prominent style within Chicago during this time. It was employed by many architects of the era, including John Holabird and John Root.
Like other art deco buildings, Holabird and Root employed elements of vertical lines and abstract geometric decoration. Also like other art deco buildings, the original plans called for a setback Michigan Square Buildings.
While the exterior was constructed from a "restrained" Bedford Limestone, the lobby (which housed the Diana Court) embodied the art deco style.
The Diana Court echoed the famous Parisian public rooms of the Ile-de-France, which launched in 1926. White-metal-railed stairways zigzagged around the Court, the floors danced with terrazzo patterns, and marble columns stood tall and proud. Hidden lights reflected from behind Miller's Clerestory Panels that fed into the dynamic tension of the Diana Court's play of light and water.
For many, the Diana Court was considered a masterpiece of the art deco style.
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