ypical lobby i.e. hotel registration, bell captain, concierge, are tucked out of sight beyond the large pillars that support the muraled ceiling. These services, though vital to a guest’s use of the establishment, are not perceived as vital to a guest’s more visceral experience of the hotel.Admittedly, the library space of the Chicago Cultural Center is one of my favorite interiors in Chicago. This sentiment most likely stems from the unexpectedness of my “discovery” of it two years ago on a personal wandering tour of the city. The sedate, gray exterior doesn’t prepare the visitor for the profusion of light and color on the inside. The entrance foyer with its broad staircase, gleaming marble and profusion of brilliant cosmati work gives the visitor a glorious lift. I can only image the experience of going to this building to read a book. The space is clearly intended to make a statement about the importance the City of Chicago placed on literacy and culture.I found your observations on the entrance to the GAR portion of the space interesting. Previously, I had felt the contrast in the space: more sparse, more constrained. I had not, however, made the leap to equate it with the entrance to a mausoleum. On my return visit for this analysis, I was clearly able to see that intention in the expression of the space....
