This post features a few photographs of the Historic American Book Company Building Chicago – a preserved, reinvestment and rehabilitation building in Chicago’s South Loop located within McCormick Square’s new development. We first stumbled upon this beautiful restored vintage Chicago industrial building unexpectedly after parking and preparing for our client’s new construction project and architectural hotel building photo shoot at the Marriott Marquis Chicago located right next door.  The historic American Book Company building was beautifully illuminated by the sun and it couldn’t resist standing out and making its way into our shoot’s photo composition. The two buildings, standing side by side, presented a new vs vintage juxtaposition example of differing architecture. The new glass and metal construction, 40 story modern skyscraper tower of Marriott Marquis stands towering to the next door 5-story, brick and stone vintage contrasting historic renovated construction of the American Book Company Building.

Before doing research, we predicted this salvaged building must be of historical significance, perhaps with a story to tell. Turns out it does and has been repurposed as a part of the Marriott Marquis hotel. This post showcases a few exterior photos we captured of the historic American Book Company building in Chicago. Photographs of the relic building’s exterior red brick and stone façade photos. Researching the history of American Book Company building, the property became a Chicago historical building landmark in 2009. Recently renovated, the 5-story industrial building has now become a part of the Marriott Marquis hotel set of properties. The 1912 built landmark, warehouse loft industrial American Book Company Building is a Chicago industrial property landmark with historical significance. According to a Crain Chicago Business’s article, the building built in 1912 originally served as the American Book Company’s Midwest warehouse and distribution center. Later, R.R. Donnelly and Sons Co. bought the property, where it printed Time magazine and Sears Holding Corporation’s catalogs. The Marriott hotel’s neighbor ABC Building is a five-story, historic industrial Midwest warehouse distribution vintage building. Former home and warehouse for the American Book Company.

The ABC Building, now a Chicago relic, stands today as an iconic vintage building standing amongst a grouping of modern skyscrapers, hotels and new developments within the McCormick Court development zone. The historic Landmark American Book Company building has been salvaged and plans are already in place for repurposing the vintage building.  It was during the planning and design building process for the New Community called McCormick Square, the entertainment district near McCormick place planned on incorporating a few existing properties, undergoing redevelopment, or new construction of buildings into the community.

As a neighbor to new Marriott Marquis hotel, the 1912 built Amercian Book Company historic building stood vacant and in decay for a few years. Although eventually it was determined to preserve and save the building to be renovated, preserved, and set for restoration during the community development process… early on, preliminary concept plans were considering demolishing the historic building.  Original plans for the corner of Cermak and Prairie included a high-rise hotel on the 3.7 acre site with space for a future Casino in the South Loop. These early on development concepts, had no original mention of rehabilitation of the American Book Company building. The Preservation Chicago succeeding in preserving the American Book Company Building saving the building from demolition, opening a new chapter for the American Book Company property’s survival. Located near the redevelopment blocks and area by the McCormick Place Convention Center within the new McCormick Square development, the building has now been repurposed and salvaged.  A part of Chicago’s historical building & history has successfully been kept within the South Loop neighborhood.

The American Book Co. building is a South Loop Chicago landmark building. The brick loft warehouse structural with vintage skybridge walkway and industrial property incorporates today converted modernized room functions. Retail, restaurants, hotel meeting space, and back of the house rooms for the Chicago Marriott Marquis Hotel are within the American Book Company. The ABC building is located at 320-330 East Cermak Road next door to Marriott Marquis hotel, McCormick Place & Convention Center, Wintrust Area, Motor Row, Motor Row Brewery, the Hyatt Regency McCormick Hotel, and more in the new South Loop.

Miller + Miller, Chicago Architectural photographers photograph a variety of building styles.  Whether industrial, residential, commercial, new construction, modern, renovated vintage, or old historic properties in Chicago building photography, our capabilities and list of clientele is diverse.  Visit our Portfolio, About Us section, and Contact Us for a quote or to discuss your business’s property photography photo needs.