Rookery Building

The Rookery Building is a twelve-story office tower in Chicago Loop that rises 55 meters (180 feet) and contains a central light court. Its construction combines exterior load-bearing masonry walls with an interior steel frame that distributes weight efficiently.

Architects Burnham and Root completed this building in 1888, making it the oldest surviving high-rise in Chicago. Frank Lloyd Wright redesigned the entrance lobby in 1905, adding his own design signature to the original structure.

The building takes its name from the former city hall that once occupied this site and drew flocks of pigeons and crows after the Great Chicago Fire. Visitors walking through the Wright-designed spaces can sense echoes of that earlier era in the central courtyard layout.

The entrance sits at 209 South LaSalle Street in the heart of the financial district and is accessible during business hours. Office spaces inside benefit from high ceilings and generous windows that bring natural light into working areas.

The facade brings together Moorish, Byzantine, Venetian, and Romanesque design elements in a single structure. An innovative grillage foundation beneath the building distributes weight across Chicago's soft soil and made construction of this early high-rise possible.

Location: Chicago

Inception: 1880s

Architects: Frank Lloyd Wright, Burnham and Root

Architectural style: Chicago School

Height: 55 m

Address: 209 South LaSalle Street

GPS coordinates: 41.87908,-87.63211

Latest update: December 14, 2025 20:52