The Rookery: Where Frank Lloyd Wright Walked Into Someone Else's Masterpiece

The Rookery, completed in 1888 at 209 S LaSalle Street by architects Burnham and Root, is one of the most important buildings in the history of American architecture. It was among the first buildings in the world to use a mixed construction system: masonry exterior and iron frame interior, allowing a lighter structure while preserving a traditional appearance. The interior light court — a soaring atrium flooded with natural light — was famously redesigned by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1905. Wright replaced the original ornament with his own white marble and gold leaf design and added new light fixtures. The cantilevered oriel staircase that climbs the building's west side is often credited to him, but it is Root's original 1888 work. Wright, who kept an office in the Rookery, worked inside someone else's masterpiece and left its heart recognizably Root's. The building's name came from the temporary City Hall that once occupied the lot — built around an old water tank, it drew crows and pigeons, and the nickname "the rookery" stuck, not least as a jab at the politicians inside. The building is still used as commercial office space and is open to visitors during business hours. The atrium alone, with its combination of Root's original iron and Wright's marble overlay, is worth the trip.