114 West Illinois Street

Schmidt, Garden and Martin, a renowned architectural firm at the turn of the 20th century, proved particularly apt at designing commercial architecture, as evidenced by the structure at 114 West Illinois. Known as the Grommes and Ullrich Building, construction began in 1901. Brick, rather than stone or terra cotta, was the principal building material of the Prairie-style building. The unique look of the building was achieved by an interspersing road pattern and uninterrupted spandrels with large ‘Chicago' windows, separated by slightly recessed piers-piers, which were de-emphasized by the abstract pattern of the brickwork. An area of smooth brick framed the building, with a simple coping capping the cornice.

In 2006, Friedman Properties restored the building, updating the interiors with modern technology and constructing a new contemporary lobby, which offsets the historic character and architecture still contained within. The 114 West Illinois Building will soon be home to the newest restaurant from Rockit Ranch Productions, the team behind some of Chicago's most popular restaurant and entertainment venues.