This past weekend, the Windy City opened its doors, quite literally, to both architectural buffs and the casually curious during Open House Chicago, an annual event that provides an all-access pass to over 170 locations across the city, and it's all for free. This initiative by the Chicago Architecture Center showcased a range of historically and culturally significant sites, including schools, churches, theaters, and private clubs, some usually closed to the public.
A standout amongst the newly featured locations this year was the Astor Club, a recently restored private dinner club once known as Maxim's, which retains its 1963 Art Nouveau decor – a throwback to an era when the Chicago elite mingled under its vintage light fixtures, as mentioned by the Chicago Sun-Times. "We actually went through the old gossip column articles from the Sun-Times,” Adam Bilter, the current owner of the club, revealed in a nod to the venue's storied past which catered to celebrities and socialites alike.
In a parallel stride through history and design, Salvage One, a veteran architectural salvage store, displayed three floors' worth of rescued Chicagoan treasures, items with stories that span from unknown origins to notable salvages like a bar from the Bismarck Hotel, as per the Sun-Times coverage. The sheer volume of doorknobs, sinks, and mantels made it both a decorator's dream and a historical trove, with owner Jane Rodak expressing surprise at the number of locals newly discovering the shop despite its long-standing presence.
Open House Chicago not only showed off architectural and design marvels but also had an educational vein running through it, such as the Fair Trade Museum on Broadway, which aims to enlighten visitors on sustainable consumer practices. "We exist to advocate for fair trade and to make people aware of the issues behind all the products that we just really take for granted,” Nancy Demuth, the museum's director of outreach and engagement, commented in a sentiment that encompassed much of the event's spirit, according to the Chicago Sun-Times narrative.
Beyond the exclusive peeks into private locations like the Astor Club, other heritage sites beckoned, as recommended by NBC Chicago, such as the Central Park Theater poised for a community-centric revival and the once-vacant Avalon Regal Theater resonant with jazz history. The event also provided navigation tips for visitors planning to traverse cityscapes filled with architectural anecdotes via public transport and bikes, ensuring that attendance was as seamless as it was enriching.
