THE LAKE CLUB
Chicago, Illinois
The design of a home for a new private club in the Loop in Chicago takes its inspiration from the prestigious club buildings that rose in American cities in the early 20th century, and specifically from New York’s much-admired Knickerbocker Club building (Delano & Aldrich, 1915). The four-story clubhouse is clad in limestone at the base and hand-molded brick on the upper levels, trimmed with limestone quoins and crown. The facades are highly symmetrical, with tall arched windows on the piano nobile, which accommodates the main lounges and dining rooms. To break down the scale of the building along the side street, one bay is expressed as an adjacent townhouse with a contrasting, more restrained appearance. In all the building is designed to offer three restaurants and two bars—one with a Moroccan theme—along with a spa, a gym, and five guest rooms. The roof is outfitted with a glassy copper-clad pavilion that opens to a terrace with breathtaking views of the Chicago skyline.
Gary Brewer, Project Partner and Designer
Robert A.M. Stern Architects
Renderings: Michael McCann