Carbide & Carbon Building
A 1929 Art Deco skyscraper on Chicago's Michigan Avenue, later converted into a hotel.
Last updated August 22, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
The Carbide & Carbon Building is a landmark Art Deco skyscraper at 230 North Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. Completed in 1929, the 37-story tower rises approximately 503 feet and was designed as the regional office of Union Carbide and Carbon Co. by Burnham Brothers, the architectural practice established by Daniel H. Burnham Jr. and Hubert Burnham, sons of the influential Chicago architect Daniel Burnham. Construction was carried out by Paschen Brothers. The building is distinguished by an unusually theatrical exterior. Its base is faced with polished black granite and dark marble, while the shaft is clad in dark green terra cotta with gold-leaf accents and bronze detailing. The upper portion has a green, jewel-like appearance and is heavily ornamented with gold. Stylized leaf motifs refer to the prehistoric plant matter associated with the formation of subterranean carbon deposits, linking the decorative program to the original tenant's chemical and carbon-related business. The ground floor was also conceived as a display setting for products made by Union Carbide and Carbon's subsidiaries. A popular architectural story holds that the tower was intended to resemble a champagne bottle, with a dark green body and a gold-foil neck. Although this interpretation is widely repeated, the documented design language also reflects broader Art Deco interest in industrial materials, geological imagery, geometric ornament, and luxurious surface treatment. The building has often been compared with Raymond Hood's American Radiator Building in New York, another prominent dark-and-gold skyscraper. The structure was designated a Chicago Landmark on May 9, 1996. In the early twenty-first century it underwent a major adaptive-reuse project. Renovation began in 2001 under the direction of Lucien Lagrange & Associates, and the building reopened as the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago in 2004. The hotel initially operated under a license from Hard Rock International. It welcomed guests beginning January 1, 2004, and held its formal grand opening after the bar and restaurant facilities were completed on April 21 of that year. The conversion reportedly created a hotel with 383 guest rooms and 13 suites. The Hard Rock operation closed on December 1, 2017. The property reopened in 2018 as the St. Jane Chicago Hotel, named for Chicago social reformer and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Jane Addams. The hotel temporarily closed in early 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following a sale in October 2020 to Montage International and further renovations, the property reopened in May 2021 under the Pendry Chicago name. The building therefore functions both as a preserved architectural landmark and as a repeatedly repositioned hospitality property. Its public identity combines Chicago architectural heritage, luxury accommodation, adaptive reuse, and appearances in film, television, and games.
History
The Carbide & Carbon Building emerged during Chicago's late-1920s skyscraper boom. It was commissioned as a regional office building for Union Carbide and Carbon Co., a company whose industrial identity influenced the architects' decorative concept. The commission went to Burnham Brothers, the firm of Daniel H. Burnham Jr. and Hubert Burnham. The brothers were sons of Daniel Burnham, one of the central figures in Chicago architecture and urban planning. After their father's death in 1912, the family's earlier practice passed through a succession of organizational forms. The brothers separated from the larger successor practice in 1917, initially working under a revived D.H. Burnham Co. name before formally adopting Burnham Brothers in 1928. The skyscraper was built by Paschen Brothers and completed in 1929. Its 37-story, approximately 503-foot form is faced with a distinctive combination of black granite, dark green terra cotta, gold leaf, bronze, and marble. The ornament is both decorative and programmatic. Leaf forms evoke ancient vegetation and the geological formation of carbon deposits, while the dark-and-gold palette gives the tower a luxurious, almost mineral appearance. The street-level design was intended to accommodate displays of products from Union Carbide and Carbon's subsidiaries. The lobby used black Belgian marble and Art Deco bronze work, extending the building's visual language into the interior. The building's appearance generated the enduring popular description that it resembles a champagne bottle: a dark green body topped with a gold neck. The comparison was reinforced after the gold-leaf crown began to be illuminated permanently at night in 2007. Architectural commentary has also connected the building with Raymond Hood's American Radiator Building in New York, which used a similarly dramatic dark exterior and bright metallic ornament. The Burnham Brothers commission was likely their best-known Chicago work. Other projects associated with the brothers included office buildings, hotels, civic structures, educational facilities, and the original State of Illinois Building. The wider architectural context was disrupted by the stock-market crash of October 1929 and the Great Depression. A proposed companion project, the Cuneo Building, was cancelled before construction. The proposal would have occupied the northeast corner of Michigan Avenue and Randolph Street and was planned to reach roughly 657 feet, or 60 stories. The Carbide & Carbon Building consequently stands as the last major commission associated with the brothers' practice before the economic collapse curtailed many comparable projects. In 1933 the firm joined with C. Herrick Hammond to become Burnham & Hammond. The practice also had an indirect connection to Skidmore, Owings & Merrill: Nathaniel A. Owings and Louis Skidmore worked in the office before later establishing the firm that became SOM. Chicago designated the Carbide & Carbon Building a Chicago Landmark on May 9, 1996. Its next major phase was adaptive reuse. Renovation began in 2001, with Lucien Lagrange & Associates directing the conversion. The building became Hard Rock Hotel Chicago in 2004, beginning guest operations on January 1 and holding its formal grand opening on April 21 after the bar and restaurant were completed. The hotel was described as having 383 rooms and 13 suites and operated under license from Hard Rock International. The Hard Rock hotel closed on December 1, 2017. In 2018, the property reopened as the St. Jane Chicago Hotel, named after Jane Addams, the Chicago social activist and Nobel Peace Prize recipient. The hotel closed temporarily in early 2020 during the pandemic. The property was sold in October 2020 to Montage International and, after renovation, reopened in May 2021 as Pendry Chicago. The building has also served as a screen and game location, appearing in the 2008 film Wanted, the Arrowverse's 2018 Elseworlds crossover connected with Batwoman, an episode of Shameless, and the fictional city of Lost Heaven in Mafia: Definitive Edition. These appearances have extended recognition of the building beyond architectural and hospitality circles.
- 2021
Pendry Chicago reopens
[1]Following renovations, the hotel reopened in May under the Pendry Chicago name.
- 2020
Pandemic-related temporary closure and sale
[1]The hotel temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the property was sold to Montage International in October.
- 2018
St. Jane Chicago Hotel opens
[1]The property reopened with a new hotel identity honoring Jane Addams.
- 2017
Hard Rock operation ends
[1]Hard Rock Hotel Chicago closed on December 1.
- 2007
Gold-leaf crown receives permanent night illumination
[1]The building's gold-leaf upper section began being illuminated permanently at night from November 16.
- 2004
Hard Rock Hotel Chicago opens
[1]The converted property began hosting guests on January 1 and held its formal grand opening on April 21.
- 2001
Hotel conversion begins
[1]Renovation began to convert the office tower into a hotel under the direction of Lucien Lagrange & Associates.
- 1996
Chicago Landmark designation
[1]The building received Chicago Landmark status on May 9.
- 1929
Skyscraper completed
[1]The 37-story Carbide & Carbon Building was completed on Michigan Avenue as a regional office for Union Carbide and Carbon Co.
Products and positioning
Historic Chicago architectural landmark and adaptive-reuse luxury hospitality property.
Architectural landmark · 1929
Carbide & Carbon Building
A 37-story Art Deco skyscraper completed in 1929 on Chicago's Michigan Avenue. Its signature materials include polished black granite, dark green terra cotta, gold leaf, bronze, and marble. The exterior's leaf ornament references the prehistoric plant origins of carbon deposits, while the dramatic crown contributes to the building's champagne-bottle nickname.
Hospitality · 2004
Hotel conversion
The building was adapted for hotel use through a renovation that began in 2001. The resulting property opened in 2004 with 383 guest rooms and 13 suites, and subsequently operated under the Hard Rock, St. Jane, and Pendry hotel identities.
Brand decisions
2020
Sale to Montage InternationalM&ABackground
The hotel temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, creating a transition point for the property.
Action taken
The property was sold to Montage International in October 2020 and subsequently renovated.
Aftermath
The hotel reopened in May 2021 as Pendry Chicago.
2017
Change from Hard Rock brandingStrategyBackground
The Hard Rock Hotel Chicago operation ended after the licensed hotel identity had operated in the building since 2004.
Action taken
The hotel closed on December 1, 2017, and the property reopened in 2018 as the St. Jane Chicago Hotel.
Aftermath
The property adopted a locally rooted identity associated with Jane Addams before later changing again to the Pendry brand.
2001
Adaptive reuse as a hotelStrategyBackground
The historic office skyscraper was selected for conversion into a hotel while retaining its landmark exterior and major Art Deco features.
Action taken
Renovation began under Lucien Lagrange & Associates, leading to the opening of Hard Rock Hotel Chicago in 2004.
Aftermath
The project established the building as a hospitality property while preserving its role as a Chicago architectural landmark.
Reported conversion cost. $106 million (2001–2004 conversion project)
Recent events
- 2021
Montage International acquires the property and Pendry Chicago reopens[1]
M&A · Product launch
After a reported October 2020 sale to Montage International and renovations, the property reopened in May 2021 as Pendry Chicago.
- 2020
Hotel temporarily closes during the COVID-19 pandemic[1]
Regulation · Other
The hotel suspended operations in early 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2018
Property reopens as St. Jane Chicago Hotel[1]
Product launch
The hotel reopened under the St. Jane name, honoring Chicago reformer Jane Addams.
- 2017
Hard Rock Hotel Chicago closes[1]
Other
The hotel's Hard Rock-branded operation ended on December 1, 2017.
- 2004
Carbide & Carbon Building converted into Hard Rock Hotel Chicago[1]
Product launch
A major adaptive-reuse project transformed the skyscraper into a hotel. Guest operations began in January, followed by a formal opening in April.
- 1996
Carbide & Carbon Building designated a Chicago Landmark[1]
Other
Chicago granted landmark designation to the building on May 9, recognizing its architectural and historical importance.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/carbide-and-carbon-building · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled