Spiegel Administration Building

Address: 1038 W. 35th St. Year Built: 1936 1941-42, additional four floors by A. Epstein Architect: Battey & Kipp Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: May 4, 2011

This large-scale industrial office building originally housed administrative offices and mail-order operations for Spiegel, Inc., one of the world's largest mail-order companies, and it exemplifies the historic importance of the mail-order industry to Chicago. The building was built in two stages, with the engineering firm of Battey & Kipp designing the building's first two floors in 1936 while the A. Epstein architectural firm (led by founder Abraham Epstein) designed an additional four floors built in 1941-42. The building is a significant example of the Art Moderne architectural style with its sleek lines and vertical ribbons of glass block. It is located within the Central Manufacturing District, a pioneering planned industrial district in Chicago's Bridgeport and McKinley Park community areas that was influential in industrial-park planning throughout the United States. Abraham Epstein, the architect for the 1941-42 expansion, also designed the former Stockyards National Bank and Chicago City Bank & Trust buildings, both designated Chicago Landmarks.