The Chicago City Hall and Cook County offices are two entirely separate but identical buildings designed by Holabird & Roche and finished in 1907 and 1911, respectively. City Hall faces west while the County building looks east towards Daley Plaza. They are the Neoclassical style that was in favor after the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Their ionic, 9 foot wide Corinthian columns stand 75 feet tall. Monumental capitals add another 12 feet in height. Altogether, these were the largest columns in the world at the time of their completion.

Building Blocks collaborated with Mark 1 Restoration on significant facade work for the Cook County side in 2007. The large scope of work was divided into three main areas: the main exterior, the inset bays, and the light court. Ten years later, Building Blocks came back to the same site for the Chicago City Hall restoration.

Restoration Architect

Soodan & Associates