| Address | 2 N. Riverside Plaza / 400 W. Madison Street, Chicago, IL |
|---|---|
| Built | 1928-29 |
| Architect | Holabird & RootJohn A. Holabird; John Wellborn Root, Jr. |
| Status | Designated Chicago Landmark |
| Designation Date | July 15, 2026 (Final)City Council Journal of the Proceedings, p. 47890 |
| Type | Office and commercial building |
About this name
The report's cover reads 'Chicago Daily News Building 2 North Riverside Plaza/400 West Madison Street', and its status line 'Final Landmark Recommendation adopted by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, May 7, 2026'.
Interior spaces protected by this designation
- The first-floor southwest (Madison Street) building vestibule, corridor/lobby, two elevator lobbies, and stair up to the second-floor lobby.
- The second-floor southwest building lobby and the stair down to the first-floor lobby, and the two elevator lobbies, including the north corridor.
- The double-height, second-floor concourse spanning from the east riverfront entrance to the west bridge to the Ogilvie Transportation Center, including but not limited to: Overall spatial volume of the double-height concourse and upper-level arcade;
- Ornamental exterior east entrance surround and two side entrance vestibules flanking the main east entrance to the concourse; The outer lobby connecting the concourse to the second-floor lobby.
Not covered by the designation
- The dock interior is not considered significant.
- The existing non-historic ADA lift in the vestibule and non-historic lighting throughout are not considered significant historical and architectural features for the purposes of this Chicago landmark designation.
- Existing non-historic turnstiles, security desk, screen walls, bench seating, and overhead lighting are not considered significant historical and architectural features for the purposes of this Chicago landmark designation.
- The non-historic digital screen on the west wall of the concourse is not a significant historical or architectural feature for the purposes of this Chicago landmark designation.
Direct quotes from the Chicago Landmark Designation Report
“The Chicago Daily News' pioneering foreign news service, established in 1898, became a model for other American newspapers and had an international reputation for employing some of the best correspondents in the world.”
“This paper was the first mass-circulating, daily newspaper in Chicago, and was widely recognized for the quality of its writers and cartoonists, and for its pioneering foreign news service, which served as a model for other American newspapers.”
“The Chicago Daily News Building is one of the first buildings that was designed with its primary orientation to the Chicago River, in fulfillment of one of the goals of the widely influential 1909 Plan of Chicago, which was developed by Daniel H. Burnham and Edward Bennett.”
“The firm, led by partners John A. Holabird (1886-1945) and John Wellborn Root, Jr. (1887- 1963), was preeminent in the United States for its innovative, stepped-back commercial skyscrapers, with their crisp geometric forms, recessed vertical bands, and modern ornament.”
“The Chicago Daily News Building has been noted by critics for its architectural excellence and innovation since its completion in 1929. The design and construction of the building was covered in numerous architectural journals, newspapers, and magazines, and has been cited by architectural historians as a significant example of Art Deco architecture.”
“The Chicago Daily News Building is also important in the city's engineering and planning history as the first office building built over railroad tracks and for such innovative design features as a special venting system for railroad locomotive exhaust.”
“Designed by Holabird & Root, the Chicago Daily News Building is one of this leading firm's premier Art Deco-style designs. Its bold geometric form and distinctive setbacks show the influence of chief designer Gilbert Hall and reflect his innovative design solutions to Chicago's 1923 zoning ordinance.”
“The paper's pioneering foreign news service, established by Victor Lawson in 1898, garnered international attention and became a model for other American newspapers. Thirteen Pulitzer Prizes were awarded to the paper between 1925 and 1972, including the first Pulitzer Prize awarded to a Chicago newspaper and the first Pulitzer awarded for foreign correspondence.”
“The first six floors of the building were reserved for Chicago Daily News' operations. The northwest corner of the first three floors was occupied by an enormous press room, where three banks of R. Hoe & Company presses printed over 100,000 newspapers each hour.”
“Field's daily “Sharps and Flats” column in The Morning News (the morning edition of Chicago Daily News, renamed The Record in 1893) became one of the most popular columns in the country in the 1880s and 1890s and was syndicated in numerous papers.”
What other designation reports say about this building
“The company moved its offices to the newly-completed Daily News Building (Riverside Plaza) at 400 West Madison Street, which was next door to the C&NW's main terminal station at Madison and Canal Streets.”
“…including the Palmolive Building and the Chicago Board of Trade (both Chicago Landmarks), as well as the Chicago Daily News Building (now 2 N. Riverside Plaza). CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATION According to the Municipal Code of Chicago (Sect 2-120-690), the Commission on Chicago Landmarks has the authority to…”
“…in Chicago, including (top left) the Chicago Building, (top right) the Palmolive Building, and (left) the Chicago Daily News Building (now 2 North Riverside).”