Venetian Gothic

I've been after this one for some time.  Not sure I quite have it yet, but I am getting closer.  My mistake tonight was to bring the wrong lens.  Actually, I brought the right one, but it just wasn't working, so I had to rely on my trusty 72mm Schneider.  Hence the stitched image from four photographs with shift applied.

The Chicago Athletic Association Building was designed by Henry Ives Cobb, who is also responsible for the Newberry  Library and Harriet Rees House.  The building was completed in 1893, with its facade modeled on the Doge's Palace in Venice.  It wasn't until the building's $60 million restoration was completed in 2015 that the city was treated to such a beautifully lit building.  A masterpiece.  It now houses a boutique 241-room hotel, with a ground-floor Shake Shack, the Cherry Circle Room on the hotel's second floor, and Cindy's , a rooftop restaurant and bar, with an outdoor terrace.  The interior is pretty snazzy, and it should be because the designers, Roman and Williams once designed Hollywood film sets, according to the Chicago Tribune's Blair Kamin, who regularly offers architectural critiques and commentary. 

The club that was housed in the building was founded by Marshall Field, Cyrus McCormick, and William Wrigley, among others.  Interesting Historical Fact: The Chicago Cubs' logo originally was the club's logo.  

And so tonight I took on the task of photographing this gem.  Thursday night's effort was a failure--too much foreground.  I may go back Sunday with a wide lens.

Photographer's Note:  Unfortunately, I had to create a cropped version of the photograph because the web template's couldn't handle the photograph's format.  

And, for a $60 million investment in the City of Chicago's skyline, you would think that the city could have moved that lamppost so that it was not blocking the name of the hotel and overpowering the facade with its hideous blown-out light.  The city should at least reduce the wattage.  In all seriousness, I am surprised that the hotel's architect and owners did not object.  Photography illustrates eyesores and poor design.