Auditorium Theatre

The Auditorium Theatre is defined by its fortress-like exterior of monochromatic rusticated stone, a heavy, blocky presence on Michigan Avenue that conceals a delicate and ornate interior. Completed in eighteen eighty-nine, this multi-use complex was designed by architects Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan to house an office tower, a hotel, and a massive performance hall. At the time of its opening, it stood as the tallest building in Chicago and the largest in the United States, serving as a confident declaration of the city’s post-fire rebirth and cultural ambition.