Palmolive Building

Address: 919 N. Michigan Avenue Year Built: 1927 - 1929 Architect: Holabird & Root Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: February 16, 2000

Built for one of the world's leading soap manufacturers, this office building ("a monument to cleanliness") was the first commercial skyscraper built far from the Loop - at the northern end of Michigan Avenue. It is one of the country's premier Art Deco-style "set-back" skyscrapers, the design of which were influenced by municipal zoning laws and the dramatic renderings of New York architect Hugh Ferris. The building was designed by one of Chicago's oldest and most prestigious architectural firms, whose other significant buildings include the 333 North Michigan Building, the Chicago Board of Trade, and the former Chicago Daily News Building. A navigational beacon which operated atop the building from 1930-1981 was restored in 2007.