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Designed by the firm of Hyland & Corse, and completed in 1929, 180 West Washington is not the kind of building that comes to mind when you think of a building named the “Equitable Building”. 180 W is a mid-block building that is ignored by nearly all that pass its quirky over the top facade. It had been in the back of my mind to do a post on this building, and when a reader sent me an email a couple of months back requesting that I photograph it and do a post on it, I was glad to oblige. Only, until recently, there has been sidewalk construction going on in front of it, and I have not been able to see enough of it to photograph.
180 W is a veritable symphony of terra cotta ornamentation. Albeit a mediocre symphony at best, but there is a little bit of everything stuck onto it’s facade to please anybody. Now, don’t get your panties in a bundle, I am all for terra cotta exuberance, but this building was more about catching your eye than being a good work of architecture. Good architecture aside, it is its ornamentational abundance that draws my eye, and that is why I like it.
Home to Hannah’s Bretzel, an organic carry-out, this close up shows some of the over the top terra cotta above the entrance to Hanna’s.
This central window on the second floor gives a better sense of the condition of the building today. Peeling paint, and a general lack of maintenance can be seen across the facade.
The swag detail is all over the building.
I tried to get a shot of the top, but it’s mid-block location made it almost impossible. If I find a better way to capture this place, I will post it.
Be sure to check out WVallen’s Photomapping Project. For the month of September he will be mapping the location of a shot from each of my posts along with several other talented photobloggers.
You could try climbing the parking garage at Madison and Wells. There’s a plaza there, so your view should be unobstructed, if your zoom is good enough.
Comment by Roland Solinski — 25 October, 2006 @ 5:52 pm