Architectural Spandrel

In 1929 Midway Gardens closed permanently and was demolished, this fragment is one of the few remains of the modern architectural marvel. Built in 1913, the building was designed to be a European-style concert hall with spaces for year-round dining and performances. Located on the corner of 60th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue, in sight of the neo-Gothic halls of the University of Chicago, it stretched the length of two city blocks. The entire structure was decorated with intricate geometric ornament that was not tied to any historical style. In the words of its architect Frank Lloyd Wright, it was "Egyptian to many, Maya to some, Japanese to others. Strange to all."