Pendry Hotel: A Skyscraper of Coal and Fire

The Burnham Brothers created a unique skyscraper in green and gold for Carbide and Carbon

Each week, discover an historic Chicago landmark and meet the people who built the Windy City. Includes audio recorded by Jim Goodrich.

The Carbide and Carbon Building is unique in Chicago. Its green terra-cotta tower with shining black base and golden summit stands out in a skyline of muted shades of beige and gray and the occasional white. The legend goes that the Burnham brothers designed it to resemble a champagne bottle’s green glass topped with foil.

That’s a fitting description and it makes sense considering the building was completed nine years into Prohibition, but the origin is less fanciful. Instead of being inspired by booze, this noteworthy skyscraper is an illustration of the evolution of buildings and how architects, in the best tradition of scientists, build on the works and ideas of others.

New York-based Union Carbide and Carbon wanted a Chicago presence, and they selected the Burnham brothers to make it happen. The brothers were the sons of that Burnham, the legendary force behind the White City and co-author of the Plan of Chicago.