Carbide & Carbon Building

The Carbide & Carbon Building is a landmark of Chicago located at 230 N. Michigan Avenue. The building, which was built in 1929, is an example of Art Deco architecture designed by Daniel and Hubert Burnham, sons of architect Daniel Burnham, and was designated a Chicago Landmark on May 9, 1996. Originally built as a high-rise office tower, the Carbide & Carbon Building is now the home of the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago, converted in 2004. The building has 37 floors and is 503 feet (153 m) tall.

The exterior of the building is covered in polished black granite, and the tower is dark green terra cotta with gold leaf accents. According to popular legend, architects Daniel and Hubert Burnham designed the building to resemble a dark green champagne bottle with gold foil.Fact|date=November 2007 Beginning on November 16, 2007, the gold-leaf tower was permanently illuminated at night. [cite news | title = A toast to the skyline | work = Chicago Tribune | pages = 2:3 | publisher = Tribune Company | date = 2007-11-16 | accessdate = 2007-11-16] The design of the building has been compared to the Bryant Park Hotel and the American Radiator Building in New York City. [cite book | last = Wolfe | first = Gerard R. | authorlink = Gerard R. Wolfe | title = Chicago: In and Around the Loop | publisher = McGraw-Hill | date = 1996 | location = New York | pages = 210 | isbn = 0070713901]

The ground floor was originally designed to display products of the Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation's subsidiaries whose offices were in the building. The lobby features art deco bronzework and black Belgian Marble.

The top of the building was the filming location for an opening shooting scene in the 2008 film "Wanted" starring James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, and Angelina Jolie.

See also

* Chicago architecture

References

External links

* [http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/C/CarbideCarbon.html Chicago Landmarks: Carbide and Carbon Building]
* [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=116835 Carbide & Carbon Building on Emporis]
* [http://www.hardrockhotelchicago.com/ Hard Rock Hotel Chicago]