Fine Arts Building

The Fine Arts Building is a ten-story structure on Michigan Avenue with granite columns, limestone piers, and oriel windows facing Grant Park. Inside, a central light well runs through the building, and it contains hundreds of artist studios and performance venues spread across multiple floors.

The building was erected in 1885 as the Studebaker Building for carriage manufacturing. A major renovation in 1898 transformed it into an arts center, a role it has maintained for over a century.

The building houses artist studios and performance spaces where musicians and visual artists work alongside cultural organizations. These active spaces shape the building's daily life and show how it evolved into a center for creative work.

The ten floors are accessible by manual elevators that have operated since the early 1900s and add to the building's historic character. The affordable studio rents draw artists who work and practice here daily.

Inside the building is a Venetian Court that extends from the fourth floor to the roof, bringing daylight through a central well. This hidden architectural feature is not visible from the street entrance and surprises many visitors as they explore the interior.

Location: Illinois

Location: Chicago

Architects: Solon Spencer Beman

Architectural style: Art Nouveau architecture

GPS coordinates: 41.87644,-87.62461

Latest update: December 7, 2025 20:45