Chicago Cultural Center, Cultural center in Loop District, Chicago, United States.
The Chicago Cultural Center is a building in the Loop with neoclassical architecture that fills a full block and is built from limestone, granite, and marble. The two connected wings hold grand staircases, glass-roofed atriums, and high ceilings with hand-crafted mosaic patterns.
The building opened in 1897 as the main library and a meeting place for veterans, designed by Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge. After the books moved to a new building in the 1970s, it became a public cultural center.
The halls, mosaics and atriums host public art exhibitions every day in rooms that once held shelves of books. Visitors walk through both wings to see galleries and performances where concerts and lectures take place in classical halls.
Admission is free and the doors open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM, served by several bus lines and the subway. The central Loop location makes it easy to walk from other downtown areas or the waterfront.
The south wing holds a large Tiffany glass dome, the biggest of its kind anywhere in the world. Many of the wall mosaics contain gold leaf, mother of pearl, and semi-precious stones that shimmer in certain light.
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