Long before it would become the heart of downtown Chicago, Michigan Avenue was once just an ordinary city thoroughfare. Originally known as “Pine Street,” the road only ran the length of the Lake Michigan shoreline from the city’s southern border to the Chicago River when it first debuted in the mid-19th century. Nevertheless, some areas of Pine Street were among the best places to live in the entire metropolis, with dozens of beautiful manors and townhouses lining long sections of the road. A few municipal structures also opened, too, specifically warehouses and factories. Among the most iconic city structures built were a gorgeous water tower and pumping station. Sadly, much of Pine Street was destroyed amid the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, save for a couple historic structures (like the iconic water tower). It would not be until two architects named Daniel Burnham and Edward H. Bennett submitted plans for the city’s complete renovation that Pine Street’s potential redevelopment became a real possibility. At the behest of the Commercial Club of Chicago, both Burnham and Bennett began devising a series of integrated projects that ultimately sought to improve Chicago’s waterfront and downtown core. One of the particular regions of Chicago that attracted their attention was the dilapidated Pine Street. Burnham and Bennett specifically called for its rehabilitation into a sprawling center of local commerce. They envisioned many ornate buildings straddling the revived Pine Street, which would be filled with all kinds of storefronts and offices spaces. Furthermore, they called for Pine Street to be widened considerably, in order to grant access to the new forms of mass transit that were now proliferating throughout Chicago. While local business leaders formed the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association as a way to fund the plan in 1912, actual construction along Pine Street did not truly commence until the onset of the Roaring Twenties.

By this point, a massive boom in commercial building projects was transpiring all over the Chicago shoreline, with Pine Street becoming one of the main focal points for the construction. Transformed into a new sprawling boulevard called “Michigan Avenue,” many kinds of new structures appeared along the revitalized corridor that displayed an amazing breadth of architectural styles. Some of Chicago’s most iconic landmarks debuted along Michigan Avenue, including Tribune Tower, the Women’s Athletic Club, and the Wrigley Building. Engineers even connected the thoroughfare to the rest of Chicago by way of the double decked DuSable Bridge. Unfortunately, the onset of the Great Depression abruptly brought an end to the work occurring all over Michigan Avenue. Construction would only resume due to the efforts of another noted Chicago-based real estate developer named Arthur Rubloff. In 1947, Rubloff specifically launched a targeted campaign to reignite the creation of ornate skyscrapers through his affiliation with the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association. He even sponsored a brilliant series of plans presented by the renowned architectural firm Holabird & Root to craft many new outstanding structures. But perhaps the most telling legacy of Robloff’s was the moniker he bestowed upon the revitalized thoroughfare. Upon witnessing the wealth of gorgeous buildings that had appeared along the avenue, he decided to christen the location as the “Magnificent Mile.” The building projects continued unabetted for many years thereafter, in which they constructed such renowned landmarks as the celebrated John Hancock Center. Michigan Avenue has since remained a fixture in downtown Chicago, attracting countless visitors each year due to its wide variety of upscale storefronts, eloquent restaurants, and fascinating cultural attractions.

Celebrated architect Walter W. Ahlschlager created the future InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile at the behest of the Shriners Organization. Ahlschlager’s subsequent eclectic design for the building incorporated elements of many different architectural styles, including motifs that harkened back to antiquity. For instance, Ahlschlager’s team incorporated a variety of ancient Assyrian relief carvings throughout the building’s limestone façade, specifically the stonework featured on the eight floor. (According to the sculptor who crafted the moldings, George Unger, the panels conveyed an artistic interpretation of “Wisdom,” “Concentration,” and “Contribution.”) Ahlschlager also incorporated Moorish aesthetics into the building’s appearance, namely the design for the gorgeous golden dome that sat atop its roof. Constructed as a possible dirigible docking port, the dome featured a wealth of gorgeous structural elements. Ahlschlager specifically placed a beautiful glass cupola inside the dome, as well as a spiral iron staircase that resembled the kind one would find in a historical lighthouse. But Ahlschlager made liberal use of various architectural styles all over the main structure’s layout, too. One of the most noteworthy places that showcased his eclectic approach was the spectacular two-story Grand Ballroom. Located on the eighth floor, it displayed a masterful blend of historic Egyptian, Greek, and Mesopotamian architecture. Perhaps its most fascinating feature was the gorgeous 12,000-pound Baccarat chandelier that hung in the center of the space. Ahlschlager installed additional unique details throughout a spectacular, Olympic-sized pool that he constructed on the 13th floor. Indeed, the pool’s most iconic features were blue Spanish majolica tiles and a terra-cotta fountain created in the likeness of the Roman god Neptune. All in all, it cost the Shriners Organization a stunning $8 million to complete!

The building underwent many renovations over the following years, especially once it became a full-fledged hotel during World War II. In 1961, for example, Sheraton Hotels developed a second complex that created many new guestrooms for the structure. This section operated as the northern wing of the hotel until it was separated as its own business unit some two decades later. Nevertheless, the most comprehensive renovation took place when InterContinental Hotels and Resorts acquired the site in 1989. During that time, a former Medinah Club member heard of the work and donated an anniversary yearbook entitled The Scimitar. Their donation proved to be invaluable, as it was filled with photographs that would serve as the main reference point for much of the work. Many of the inner walls above the eighth floor were restructured to expand the size of the guestrooms, while on the ninth floor, the floor was raised by two-and-a-half feet to accommodate plumbing for even more accommodations. In addition to the guestroom modifications, the balcony of the Grand Ballroom—which had long since been removed—was rebuilt to match its first design. The murals and gold leaf detailing on the room’s ceiling were restored by Lido Lippi, the same man who consulted on the restoration of the Sistine Chapel. Inside the public areas, designers used painstaking attention to detail. Photographs of the original carpeting were enlarged and used to recreate its exact pattern, even making sure not to incorporate more colors than were available from the original manufacturer. Initially, workers utilized a process called cornhusk blasting to strip away the many layers of paint from the marble walls in the Hall of Lions, as traditional sandblasting would have destroyed the intricate details of any etchings beneath. When it was determined that a single marble column would require close to a ton of ground corn cobs, restorers decided to scrub away the paint by hand. The project eventually concluded after a few months, with the building reborn as the “InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile.”

Esther Williams, renowned swimmer and actress best remembered for her role Million Dollar Mermaid.