- Alfred S. Alschuler
Alfred S. Alschuler (
1876 -11 June 1940 ) "Alfred S. Alschuler" (history), archINFORM, 2006-10-12, "Eng.archINFORM.net" webpage: [http://eng.archinform.net/arch/5003.htm archINFORM-ASA] .] was one of Chicago's most prolific and versatilearchitect s during the height of the city's architectural boom. His designs included warehouses, department stores, industrial buildings,synagogue s, and offices. Alschuler's legacy lives on in the form of historically significant buildings such as the London Guarantee & Accident Building (1922-23) at the intersection of N. Michigan Avenue andWacker Drive .The
Chicago Mercantile Exchange Building (1927), another of Alschuler's acclaimed commercial buildings, suffered a less fortunate fate; The Merc was demolished in 2003, despite a spirited set of protests organized by local preservation groups. The silver lining of The Merc's demolition was the creation of a new Chicago law which provides the Landmarks Commission a 90-day period to review and potentially save historically significant buildings.Other significant industrial and commercial works by Alschuler include the Bull Dog and Whistle Restaurant, Brach’s Candy Factory, the Florsheim Shoe Factory, the Garment Center Building, and the Benson-Rixon Department Store.
Alschuler was also an accomplished designer of Jewish synagogues in the Chicago area, including
K.A.M. Isaiah Israel Temple , Agudath Achim Bikur Cholim Synagogue, B'nai Sholom, Anshe Emet Synagogue, Am Shalom in Glencoe, and Am Echod in Waukegan.A member of the
American Institute of Architects , Alfred S. Alschuler died onJune 11 ,1940 , near age 64, in Chicago.Notes
References
* [http://www.lib.colum.edu/archhistory/alschuler.htm Alfred S. Alschuler] , profile from Columbia College, Chicago.
External links
* [http://www.emporis.com/en/cd/cm/?id=100151 "Alfred S. Alschuler"] , list of Chicago buildings designed by Alschuler.
* [http://snuffy.lib.umn.edu/image/srch/bin/Dispatcher Images of Alschuler buildings] , University of Minnesotia digital library. (search on "Alschuler")
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