The Chicago Stock Exchange Arch is a piece of historical architecture located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Installed outside of the Art Institute of Chicago, it is one of the few surviving large-scale fragments from the Chicago Stock Exchange building designed in 1893.[2]
History
The arch as installed on the bottom center of the longer façade the Chicago Stock Exchange building
A 1974 donation of $520,000 by Walter E. Heller Foundation, whose company purchase the Exchange and replaced it with the Heller International Building, allowed for the preservation and reinstallation of the arch and former trading floor.[6] The arch was installed outside the Art Institute of Chicago's east entrance in 1977.[7]
The arch is presently located outside of the Modern Wing of the Art Institute. During the three and a half year construction of the Modern Wing, the arch had to be shrouded in fabric mesh and scaffolding to protect it from possible construction damage.[8]
Design
Architectural drawings for the arch
The arch was originally installed at the entrance of the Chicago Stock Exchange Building, a thirteen story building housing the city's stock exchange. While doors were originally present in the arch, they were removed when relocated to the Art Institute of Chicago.