Mid-Century Buildings on Peterson Avenue

(An earlier version of this article was published on this site in 2022)

Lately there's been interest in the extraordinary mid-century architecture on Peterson Avenue, from the Edgewater neighborhood west through West Ridge, North Park, and Forest Glen.  This is a good time to take a closer look at Peterson, since many of the most interesting buildings have been vacant for an uncomfortably long time...

Peterson is not an attractive street.  It basically functions as a speedway, with four lanes and enormous intersections.   If you're on Peterson, you're probably in a car.  These buildings are designed to catch the eye of someone moving by quickly.  The three office buildings shown here utilize a combination of textured materials, patterns, and colors to spark interest, while the façades are designed to create a sense of enclosure and protection from the nearby traffic.  

But they still follow an earlier pattern of commercial design: close to the street, with parking in the back. Later development often put the parking lot front and center, which solved some proximity problems but created an uncomfortable, auto-dominated environment. Despite the traffic, much of Peterson still feels like a commercial district for an urban neighborhood.

In contrast to the protected storefronts, the building above (a former furniture showroom) uses its enormous windows to create an immediate visual connection between the interior and exterior.  An undulating concrete canopy above the second floor adds interest and maybe even a little shade. Sadly, the old Town House Interiors sign is long gone.  I had to use an old Google Street View image to get its details. 

All of these buildings, constructed in the 1950s and1960s, hold a significant place in the history of Peterson Avenue. The building at 2800 W. Peterson was demolished and replaced in 2022, but I hope that's not a sign of things to come.