Medinah Temple

Prior to 2000, Medinah Temple and Tree Studios seemed fated to become vanished relics of the past when plans for demolition were announced by a well-known buyer. Unwilling to allow such historic treasures to go the way of the wrecking ball, Albert Friedman quickly assembled a group of prominent investors and made a counter-offer. With the support of the City of Chicago, Friedman purchased the entire historic block and embarked on an ambitious plan to save the buildings.

Partnering with Federated Department Stores, the company re-envisioned the building as a one-of-a-kind emporium that would integrate the structure’s Islamic Revival style architecture into the customer’s shopping experience. Plasterwork, proscenium arch, and jewel-colored stained glass were preserved, juxtaposed against a modern, floating glass circulation system. Working from original drawings, Friedman Properties further restored the building's key decorative elements by recreating missing ornamentations, including the sizable central cornice and intricate balcony railings.

Friedman Properties also faced the daunting task of replicating the Temple’s two 10,000 pound copper onion domes which had to be constructed on-site in the adjacent Tree Studios courtyard and craned onto the Temple’s rooftop.

With its crowning feature in place, Medinah Temple re-opened in February of 2003 as the nation's first-ever Bloomingdale’s Home Store. Today, visitors enter a 'temple of domesticity' under the soaring heights of the 131,000 square foot building's beautifully restored dome.