1. City of Chicago
City of Chicago
Style Guide
Style Guide
Linscott R. Hanson
Arc 125

2. American Four-Square
This post-Victorian style of single-family house, prized for its
ease of construction, practicality, and roomy interior, is found
throughout Chicago. The largest concentrations are in
community areas developed during the style's heyday (1900-
1930), such as Beverly, Norwood Park, Rogers Park, and
South Shore.
▸Cubic shape
Broad front porch, sometimes enclosed
Built in wide variety of materials,
ncluding wood, brick, and stucco

3. ART DECO - MODERNE
In the 1920s and 30s, Art Deco and Moderne achieved great
popularity as modern architectural styles. Although somewhat
different in their overall appearance, both styles share
stripped down forms and geometric-based ornament. A
limited number of examples are found in Chicago, with
concentrations located in the Loop, the Near North Side, and
along some commercial streets.
rounded edges, corner windows, and glass block walls

4. ARTS and CRAFTS
Originating from the teachings of William Morris, John Ruskin,
and other late-19th century English Theorists, the Arts &
Crafts movement's emphasis was on "humanizing" design
through simple, crafted forms and honest expression of
materials.
use of brick, wood and carved
stone
naturalistic and geometric forms

5. Chateauesque
The Chateauesque style became fashionable in the 1880s
due to the influence of New York City's famed Vanderbilt
mansion (1879, Richard Morris Hunt). The style, which was
based on 16th century French chateaux, was initially used in
Chicago for the mansions of the city's social elite, on such
South Side streets as Prairie Avenue. It later became popular
for smaller houses throughout Chicago.
mix of "Gothic" and "Renaissance"
ornament
high-peaked hipped roofs,

6. Chicago School
During the 1880's and '90s, Chicago architects designed
buildings with exteriors clearly expressing their innovative
steel-frame construction. These "Chicago School" buildings
have been praised as important precursors to 20th-century
steel-and-glass skyscrapers. In Chicago, most examples of
the style are office buildings in the Loop.
masonry cladding, usually terra cotta, clearly
emphasizing the steel framing
distinctive three-part windows, with large central
fixed panes flanked by smaller double- hung sash
windows
▪minimal use of ornament

7. CCarson, Pirie, Scott and Company
Building
One of the most important structures
in early modern architecture, famed for
its influential modular construction and
design. Visionary architect Louis
Sullivan shaped this commercial
building--originally built for the
Schlesinger and Mayer department
store--into a dramatically animated
structure that inseparably merges
beauty and function. The ornament of
the lower two stories is frozen in cast
iron, while at the same time giving the
impression of being in fluid motion. It is
an excellent example of Sullivan's
genius for architectural
ornament.

8. Classical Revival
The Classical Revival, based on the
architecture of ancient Greece and
Rome, was one of the most widespread
styles in the United States during the late
1800s and early 1900s. Its versatility was
adaptable to a wide range of building
types and budgets. Found throughout
Chicago, the Classical Revival style was
often used for churches and public
buildings.

9. Colonial Revival
A revival of interest in the architecture of colonial America
occurred between the 1880s and World War II. Known as
Colonial Revival, the style combines elements of both
Federal and Georgian architecture, which were popular styles
in America in the 1700s and early 1800s. In Chicago,
examples can be found in such areas as South Shore, Forest
Glen and Beverly.
▸Symmetrical facades, often with side porches
▸Red brick or wood clapboard walls
Entrances decorated with sidelights, transoms,
columns, and pediments

10. Dutch Revival
Based on the style of housed built by the Dutch settlers on
New Amsterdam (New York) in the 1600s, this style acquired
popularity between 1900 and World War II. In Chicago, the
style can be found in such community areas as South Shore,
Norwood Park, and Morgan Park.
Doorways ornamented with
columns, sidelights and
transoms
Gambrel roofs (i.e., a curving
roof with a shape similar to a
barn roof)

11. Eastlake/Stick Style
The decorative possibilities inherent in machine-manufactured wood
were promoted by late 19th-century architects working in the
Eastlake/Stick style. The name refers to both Charles Eastlake, an
English architect who advocated the use of wooden decoration, and
the use of wooden "stick work". In Chicago, houses of this style can
be found in Lakeview, Englewood, and Hyde Park.
▸Wood construction
▸Decorative wooden planks (or "stick
ork") which outline the underlying wood
ame structure
▸Intricate wooden details, such as
he-turned spindles and jigsaw-cut

12. All Saints Church and Rectory
This church, constructed when the surrounding community of Ravenswood
was still an independent suburb, is a rare local example of the Stick Style, a
picturesque architectural style used primarily for suburban residences in the
Eastern United States in the 1860s. It remained popular in the Midwest
through the 1880s.
The rectory, which was built in 1905, was designed in a simplified Tudor
style; the church entry was added at the same time.

13. Gothic Revival
A rise of interest in the church architecture of medieval France, England,
and Germany during the 19th century inspired the Gothic Revival, a popular
style until the 1930s. Because it was used frequently in Chicago for
religious buildings, examples can be found in most community areas. The
campus of the University of Chicago, however, is the city's outstanding
ensemble of Gothic Revival buildings.
tall pointed windows, often filled
with stained glass and elaborate
tracery
carved stone ornament, including
gargoyle-like heads and figures

14. Greek Revival
This style, based on ancient Greek temples, is considered the first truly
American architectural style. Americans associated the style with the ideals
of Greek democracy and linked it with the similar aspirations of American
government. In its early years, Chicago had many Greek Revival houses,
but only a handful remain.
Classical Greek ornament, such as
columns
Gable roofs combined with pediments

15. IInternational
The International style was developed in the 1920s by European architects
in search of a style suitable for a modern society. Many American architects
learned of the style through an influential exhibit in 1932, at New York City's
Museum of Modern Art. There are few pre-World War II examples in
Chicago--most were built after 1950--although a handful can be found in
Hyde Park, South Shore, and West Town.
Windows wrapping around
corners
▸Flat roofs

16. IItalianate
One of America's most popular 19th-century styles, the Italianate was
derived from the architecture of Italian villas. Chicago architects used the
style between the 1860s and 1890s for a wide variety of building types, from
houses and small apartment buildings, to institutional structures. Surviving
examples can be seen in most community areas developed during the
period, although the greatest concentrations can be found in Lincoln Park,
the Lower West Side, and West Town.
▸Vertical proportions
Tall, rounded windows and doors
Stone trim with incised foliated
ornament
Intricate wood or pressed metal
cornices

17. Middle Eastern
Middle Eastern-style buildings are an eclectic combination of building forms
and exotic details derive from the architecture of the Byzantine and Islamic
empires. Although few Middle Eastern buildings were built in Chicago, the
style was most typically used for clubs, theaters, and religious buildings
between 1910 and 1930.
Colorful terra cotta and cerami
tile ornament forming complex
geometric patterns
Elaborate rooflines of towers
and domes

18. Asian Style
This style is comprised of buildings whose appearances were
influenced by Chinese or Japanese forms or decoration. In
Chicago, this style is rare and found chiefly in such Asian-
American areas as Chinatown (Armour Square community
area), where it was used for buildings constructed between
1910 and 1930.
Stone or terra cotta ornament
based on Chinese or Japanese
decorative motifs (dragons, dogs,
alphabet symbols)

19. Prairie Style
The Prairie style was developed in the late-19th and early-20th centuries by
Frank Lloyd Wright and other architects as "a modern architecture for a
democratic American society." Because it was largely developed in the
Chicago area, this style is well represented here by some of the most
important buildings of the early-20th century. Significant examples can be
found in Rogers Park, Hyde Park, and Beverly.
Flat brick or stucco walls, often outlined with wooden strips of
contrasting color
▸Hip or gable roofs with wide, overhanging eaves

20. Queen Ann Style
This picturesque style, popular in the 1880s and 90s, is found
in almost every city and town in the United States. Buildings
in the Queen Anne style have asymmetrical shapes
characterized by bays and prominent, varied rooflines. In
Chicago, it was used for many houses and commercial
buildings, with concentrations found in Hyde Park and
Lakeview.
▸Rich but simple ornament
▸Variety of materials, including wood,
terra cotta, stone, and pressed metal
Irregular roofline with many dormers and
chimneys

21. Renaissance Style
The churches and palaces of Renaissance Italy were the
inspiration for this revival style. In Chicago, it mainly was
used for churches and institutional buildings, between 1890
and 1930.
round-arched windows and
arcades (i.e., covered walkways
or porches, formed by rows of
arches resting on columns)
profusion of triangular and
round-arched pediments

22. Romanesque Revival
The forms of the Romanesque Revival actually derive from the 11th and
12-century architecture of France and Spain, although the style enjoyed a
resurgence in the 1880s due to the work of architect H. H. Richardson. It
was used for many building types, including houses, clubs, and commercial
buildings, before its popularity ended in the late 1890s. Examples can be
found in many community areas, including Douglas, Grand Boulevard, and
Kenwood.
▸heavy, rough-cut stone walls

23. Second Empire
The elaborate architecture of Paris in the 1850s and 60s
when it was rebuilt by Napoleon III became the inspiration for
the Second Empire style. Popular in Chicago during the
1870s and early '80s, relatively few examples of the style,
mostly houses survive.
intricate stone ornament
surrounding doors and windows
sloping "mansard" roofs, often
with multi-colored slate shingles
and elaborate dormers
▸ prominent cornices

24. Spanish Style
This style is based on Spanish colonial and Mexican
buildings that were built in California, Texas and the
American Southwest between the early 1600s and the 1840s.
The style regained popularity as a revival style during the
1920s. Chicagoans used it for houses and religious buildings
in several community areas, including Beverly, Edison Park,
and South Shore.
▸Brick or stucco walls
Twisting columns and
decorative shields made of
terra cotta
▸ round arched windows
▸Elaborately rounded roof
parapets based on Spanish

25. Sullivanesque
Louis Sullivan, one of Chicago's most influential architects,
developed a unique form of decoration that he used for many of
his buildings, beginning in the 1890s. This Sullivanesque style
was imitated by other architects, using terra cotta designed and
manufactured by the Midland Terra Cotta Company in Chicago.
Sullivanesque buildings can be found in the Loop, Lincoln
Square and North Lawndale.
▸Terra cotta ornament
composed of lushly
intertwining vines and leaves
combined with sharp-edged
geometric figures

26. Tudor Revival
Based on English domestic architecture from the 1500s and
1600s, Tudor Revival gained great popularity as a residential
style in America during the early 20th century. It can be found
in such Chicago community areas as Beverly, Forest Glen
and South Shore.
▸Use of stucco, particularly in
ends of gables
▸Irregular massing

27. Cottage
This is a common, "vernacular" residential style that was built
in working-class Chicago neighborhoods in the years
following the Chicago Fire of 1871. Examples can be found in
the community areas of Lincoln Park, the Lower West Side,
and West Town.
▸One-and-a-half stories, set
atop a raised basement
Ornament restricted to around
windows and beneath the roof
line (cornice)

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