Throwback Thursday – Masonite Building

We travel to Chicago, October 1962 for this week's Epstein Throwback Thursday to cover the completion of the 10-story, 129,000 square foot Masonite Building located at 29 N. Wacker. At the corners of Wacker and Washington, and across the street from the iconic Lyric Opera, this Epstein designed and engineered building, which featured a classic marble façade, was developed by realtors Robert H. McCormick and Ross J. Beatty, Jr. and initially served as the new headquarters for Millers National Insurance. In addition, the Masonite Corporation, which occupied two and half floors, paid for the naming rights to the building.

The Masonite Building's structural frame was constructed of reinforced concrete and the exterior walls above the second floor featured anodized aluminum windows with white Vermont Montclair Danby marble spandrels set between black epoxy coated aluminum mullions. The first two floors were set back to the inner face of the peripheral columns creating a strong colonnade base design. These two-story high columns were clad with bright stainless steel and white marble.

In addition, the mechanical systems of the Masonite Building featured a 590-ton gas powered steam absorption unit and was specified because of its highly efficient, dependable and economical operation. This heating unit also had no major moving parts which would cause noise or vibration through the building.

For those of you curious the Masonite Building still stands, but it went through a dramatic renovation in 2000, which featured an exterior curtain wall replacement, a partial lobby renovation and a full scale elevator modernization. In a nutshell the mid-century modernist look of this building is gone for good and in its place is a nice example of 21st century design. Still, in our very biased opinion, the original exterior had much more charm and character.