1920s Skyscraper
Famed Palmolive Poised
To Electrify Chicago Again

by Craig Barner

More than 75 years after it originally opened, Chicago's Palmolive Building is geared to electrify onlookers again.

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The skyscraper's famed beacon, a landmark dark since the late 1980s, has been restored as part of the building's $100 million renovation, said Harry Soenksen, vice president of Chicago-based Booth Hansen, the architect on the renovation. If a permit is approved, the beacon will be illuminated again.

"For historic purposes, the city wanted to see the beacon lit up," he added.

The 37-story Palmolive at 919 N. Michigan Ave. is being converted from an office and into a 103-unit condominium. Prices for the condos range from $450,000 to $10 million.

In October, a helicopter hauled the 5-ft.-diameter beacon to the top of the mast that rises 70 ft. from the building crown.

The lift was required in part because the mast elevator that had once provided access to the crow's nest was removed prior to the project.

The helicopter hovered above the crow's nest for more than 10 minutes while the 2,800-lb. beacon, which was suspended from a line, was carefully detached and seated by a half-dozen workers, said Margaret Walsh, project manager with Chicago-based Walsh Construction, a general contractor on the project.

The original searchlight had been removed prior to the project, and a World War II-era "Dominator" searchlight was located, refurbished and installed.

The revamp included replacing the feeds, interior wiring and lens; only the shell is original.

The new beacon with illumination power of 7 billion candles is different from its predecessor.

With the original, a maintenance worker changed the carbon arc lamp every eight hours.

"We found his log books from the 1930s," Soenksen said. "These were sheets of paper of when they changed the lamps on the overnight shifts." The new lamp would need fewer changes.

Also, the beacon formerly rotated 360 degrees and discharged its beam over the city and Lake Michigan. The new beacon would rotate about 150 degrees and cast a ray over the lake only between Navy Pier on the south and the lakeshore line on the north, pending the approval of the permit.

A shroud would focus the beam to ensure against bleed from the lens surface.

Controlling the light shaft would be important because of the proximity of other tall structures, such as the John Hancock Center, 900 N. Michigan building and numerous hotels.

A Splendid History

The beacon is only one element of the Palmolive's rich history that stirs the affection of Chicagoans.

The building originally opened in 1929 based on the design of venerable Chicago architecture firm Holabird & Root. The limestone-clad Palmolive was one of the country's premier skyscrapers in the art deco style.

The design included a dramatic vertical orientation with setbacks - an element that helped ensure light on sidewalks and streets - and ornamentation. Images with stylized classical and natural themes adorn several surfaces, including elevator door panels, exterior window panels and reliefs in between-floor spandrel lines.

The Palmolive has played a celebrated role in the city's business history.

It was the first skyscraper built far from the Loop on the end of North Michigan Avenue, which in the 1920s was mostly a residential area with mansions and homes. The building, a "monument to cleanliness," served as the corporate headquarters for the namesake toiletries and household products firm until the 1950s.

The building became a monument of a different sort while serving as the headquarters for Hugh Hefner's Playboy Enterprises with its eponymous men's magazine. The structure was known as the Playboy Building from 1965 to 1989.

Playboy Enterprises departed, and the building reverted to its previous name.

But the goddess that was so beloved among Chicagoans and visitors alike had faded.

In May 2001, Chicago-based real estate firm Draper and Kramer Inc. purchased the building for an undisclosed amount, said Jim Freko, vice president of acquisitions and development. By then the Palmolive was a Class-C office property and only about 60 percent leased.

"That's getting low," Soenksen said. "That is the impetus [for renovation] you see in these old buildings whenever the original function - usually an office building downtown - starts to fall."

Also driving the project is the Palmolive's comparatively small 10,000-sq.-ft.-average floor plate and approximately 14.5- to 17.5-ft. bay-to-bay spacing.

These proportions may not work well for a modern office space, but they do for a residential tower.

The Palmolive was designated a Chicago Landmark in 2000 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

Four Years After

The renovation started more four years ago.

Because the Palmolive had occupants prior to renovation start, some leases were purchased and others not renewed as they expired, Soenksen said. Also slowing the project was the wane in interest in high-rise residential spaces for a time after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers in New York on Sept. 11, 2001.

The Palmolive's units range in size from 1,146 sq. ft. to 9,355 sq. ft. About 65 percent of the units in the 489,000-gross-sq.-ft. building are sold, Freko said.

The ground level will hold retail spaces, the second floor the Beacon Club, the third floor offices and the fourth floor an Elizabeth Arden spa. Amenities include storage, 1,200-sq.-ft. fitness center and 155 parking units on the three below-grade levels.

Two car elevators will be used to lower the cars, and valets will park them.

Two general contractors are working on the project: Walsh Construction Co. on the core and shell and Chicago-based Pepper Construction Co. on the interior.

The project is expected to finish at the end of 2005, Soenksen said.

Major Activities

Several major activities make up the project, including the demolition of partitions and other spaces.

About 1,500 dumpster boxes were filled with demolition debris, and additional receptacles will be needed for construction debris, Walsh said.

Existing elevators were used to remove the material, and a portion of the vaulted sidewalk was opened to install a temporary lift.

Choreography was required to avoid disturbing neighbors and tenants who remained in the building during demolition and rebuild. The time and type of work were key factors in planning.

"It depended on what floor you were on and what you doing," she added. "It was really delicate."

Practically the entire mechanical, electrical and plumbing system was replaced, Soenksen said. Here, the team benefited a bit from the building's original programming.

In the 1920s, office suites that included a sink and toilet were pitched to captains of industry.

As a result, each column line was wet with piping. The old channels were retained, but new piping was installed.

Painstaking care was taken to accommodate existing clients and ensure water and sewage lines for individual units were kept in service.

"We'd go in 24 hours a day, take out the old risers, put in new risers and patch their walls before Monday morning," Soenksen added.

New ventilation risers were installed, including for toilet, dryer and kitchen exhaust and make-up air, and required multiple corings of the floor. Originally, the concept called for horizontal branches to serve individual units, but with only a few exceptions due to tenant customization, vertical lines were installed for efficiency.

Unit build-out began in November, and it is being overseen by Pepper Construction.

Units feature a structural raised floor, and Pepper is coordinating the installation of lines that include the duct and low-voltage wiring for the Internet, satellite TV and other things.

A new stairway was installed to replace a previous one with "complicated exiting," and a new slab was poured below grade to form the new B2 level.

The B3 level that had once held the mechanical systems featured a 35-ft. ceiling.

Looking Fine