A uniquely designed Uptown commercial building and a surviving example of the Near South Side’s “Furniture Row” were approved today as official Chicago Landmarks by City Council.

Wholesale Furniture Exposition Building, 1323 S. Michigan Ave.
The Wholesale Furniture Exposition Building is a seven-story commercial loft structure built in the Chicago School architectural style with Prairie-style brick details. Designed by Hugh M. G. Garden and constructed in 1904 using the structure of an 1894 apartment building, the building is a rare surviving example associated with the Near South Side’s “Furniture Row,” which was the epicenter of Chicago’s furniture manufacturing and exhibition industry in the early 20th century. The designation will protect all building elevations, including rooflines, from significant alteration or demolition.

Cairo Supper Club Building, 4015-17 N. Sheridan Road.
The Cairo Supper Club Building was designed by notable Chicago architect Paul Gerhardt Sr. in the rare Egyptian Revival architectural style. Completed in 1920, the one-story commercial structure is clad with multi-colored terra cotta ornamented with a variety of ancient Egyptian motifs, including lotus-decorated columns and a concave “cavetto” cornice. The building’s first use was as an automobile showroom in the 1920s before becoming the popular Cairo Supper Club in the late 1940s and hosting a variety of entertainment acts. The designation applies to all building elevations, including rooflines, with provisions to accommodate a potential redevelopment project that will preserve the front 20 feet of the structure.

Both properties were recommended for Landmark designation by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks this summer.

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