Palmolive Building - 1930

Copyright 2005 David R. Phillps

The Palmolive Building, formerly the Playboy Building, is a 37-story Art Deco building at 919 N. Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Built by Holabird & Root, it was completed in 1929 and was home to Colgate-Palmolive-Peet.

The Palmolive Building came to be known as the Playboy Building when it was home to Playboy magazine from 1965 to 1989. During this time, the word P-L-A-Y-B-O-Y was spelled out in 9 feet (2.7 m) letters. It was designated a Chicago Landmark in 2000, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

Today, the building has been converted for residential use by developer Draper and Kramer. The first two floors house upscale office and retail space. High-end condos make up the rest of the building. Notable residents of the building include Vince Vaughn and Lou Piniella.

Lindbergh Beacon

A beacon named for the aviator Charles Lindbergh was added to the building in 1930. It rotated a full 360 degrees and was intended to help guide airplanes safely to Midway Airport. The beacon ceased operation in 1981 following complaints from residents of nearby buildings. During the Palmolive Building's conversion to condominiums in the late 2000s, the beacon was modified to rotate back and forth, always pointing at the lake, so as to avoid shining light into other buildings. Subsequently, the beacon resumed operation.

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