This is part of my series of visits to buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

The Rookery Building is a prestigious office building in downtown Chicago, designed by the architects Daniel Burnham and John Root in 1888. It introduced a steel frame to Chicago architecture, being the first building in the transition from masonry to modern high-rise construction. The lobby was remodeled in 1905 by Frank Lloyd Wright. The building was named after the old City Hall building that previously occupied the site. That building was nicknamed the Rookery because of the shady politicians it housed. More information about the building is here and here and here and here.

Here are some photos of the exterior of the building

    

DSC08275-20180702: The exterior of the Rookery, in Chicago, Illinois

    

DSC08242-20180702: The main entrance to the Rookery, in Chicago, Illinois

    

DSC08268-20180702: Carvings around the main doorway of the Rookery, in Chicago, Illinois, including a flock of rooks

    

DSC08277-20180702: Street names on the corner of the Rookery, in Chicago, Illinois

    

DSC08279-20180702: Exterior details on the Rookery, in Chicago, Illinois

    

DSC08280-20180702: Exterior details on the Rookery, in Chicago, Illinois

The Lobby, as remodeled by Frank Lloyd Wright

    

DSC08255-20180702: The lobby of the Rookery, in Chicago, Illinois, showing the grand staircase from the 1st to the 2nd floor

    

DSC08262-20180702: The lobby of the Rookery, in Chicago, Illinois

    

DSC08282-20180702: The lobby of the Rookery, in Chicago, Illinois, from the 2nd floor at the top of the grand staircase

    

DSC08302-20180702: The lobby of the Rookery, in Chicago, Illinois, from the 2nd floor

Details in the Lobby, as remodeled by Frank Lloyd Wright

    

DSC08249-20180702: Light fixture in the lobby of the Rookery, in Chicago, Illinois

    

DSC08266-20180702: Elevator in the lobby of the Rookery, in Chicago, Illinois

    

DSC08273-20180702: Details on the railing of the grand staircase in the lobby of the Rookery, in Chicago, Illinois

The Oriel Staircase is absolutely the highlight of the building. It is a spiral staircase which winds down from the 12th floor to the 2nd floor. The only way to see this staircase is by taking a guided tour of the building, and when you do so you will have mere seconds to photograph the staircase. The meaning of the term "Oriel Staircase" is a staircase which attaches to a wall (think of a fire escape or a bay window), and does not reach the ground.

    

DSC08283-5-HDR-20180702: The 4th-to-5th-floor segment of the Oriel Staircase in the Rookery, in Chicago, Illinois

    

DSC08286-8-HDR-20180702: The 4th-to-5th-floor segment of the Oriel Staircase in the Rookery, in Chicago, Illinois

    

DSC08292-4-HDR-20180702: The 4th-to-5th floor segment of the Oriel Staircase in the Rookery, in Chicago, Illinois

    

DSC08296Copy 1-20180702: The Oriel Staircase in the Rookery, in Chicago, Illinois, looking upward from the 5th floor

    

DSC08299Copy 1-20180702: The Oriel Staircase in the Rookery, in Chicago, Illinois, looking upward from the 5th floor

I revisited the Rookery to take better photos on April 25 2019