photographs and observations from my recent visit to the chicago athletic association building

detaching myself from the ongoing (and seemingly never ending) john kent russell salvage in order to revisit and photodocument any and all changes made to the chicago athletic association building, was both refreshing and therapeutic.

i managed to devote an entire afternoon (earlier this week) to reacquaint myself with the building and begin photographing the alterations that have taken place since my last visit.

a few hundred photographs were taken while i worked my way up, from the ground floor lobby to the eighth floor dining room. unfortunately, i didn't have much time to populate the gallery (below) with images now that i need to switch gears yet again, returning to the russell house to tie up loose ends before the wrecking ball arrives later this week.

some very brief alterations of note revolve primarily around the reinstallation of the heavily ornamented gothic style oak woodwork adorning the "drawing room" after being cleaned, repaired and so on.

i was very much delighted to finally begin documenting the incredible woodwork located within the third floor "reading room" after certain elements were uncovered after work on the plaster ceiling above was completed.

the large array of art glass windows (executed by healy & millet) on the grand eighth floor "dining hall" are finally uncovered, so i managed to capture greater clarity and/or detail and the "true" color scheme that was otherwise obscured by the plastic sheeting.

perhaps the most important discovery that raised the hairs on my back were found in the old cherry circle bar, where the false ceilings have been pulled down, revealing some of the most amazing "gardenesque" plaster ornament i've ever seen by this highly talented architect. that amazing find will be given its own post in the coming weeks.

i really wish i could have provided more photographs in the gallery, but the russell house is calling me back.