R.R. Donnelley and Sons Co. Calumet Plant

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R.R. Donnelley and Sons Co. Calumet Plant
Calumet Plant R R Donnelly and Sons Company B Chicago IL.jpg
R.R. Donnelley and Sons Co. Calumet Plant is located in Illinois
R.R. Donnelley and Sons Co. Calumet Plant
Location 350 E Cermak Road Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Built 1912 to 1929[1][2][3]
Architect Howard Van Doren Shaw, Charles Zeller Klauder
Architectural style English Gothic
NRHP Reference # 83000308
Significant dates
Added to NRHP February 17, 1983
Designated CL March 31, 2004[4]

The R.R Donnelley Printing Plant, sometimes known as the The Calumet Plant or the Lakeside Plant and now known as the Lakeside Technology Center, was built between 1912 and 1929 to house the operations of the RR Donnelley printing company. The building supported printing operations for the company and was the Donnelley headquarters until 1991 when they moved the headquarters to 77 West Wacker. In 1993, the plant was closed after the discontinuation by Sears, Roebuck and Co. of its mail-order catalog, which had been the last major account printed there. In 1999 the building was retrofitted and is currently owned by Digital Realty Trust operating as a carrier hotel or data center. The newly outfitted building was the first and largest planned carrier hotel in the United States.[5]

The building was designed by Howard Van Doren Shaw to be a fireproof design of poured reinforced concrete columns and an open-shell concrete floor.[6] Although considered to be expensive by the standards of that time, T.E. Donnelley agreed that the support would be needed for the many tons of paper they used and large presses they operated. Supported by 4,675 steel-reinforced concrete columns, this type of construction not only served the Donnelly well, it also provided the perfect infrastructure for future tenants. To further the building’s support structure, reinforcing bars, normally laid perpendicular, were laid at various angles enabling the floors to bear loads of at least 250 pounds per square foot.

Current major tenants of the building include the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Telx, Equinix, Steadfast Networks and Qwest.

Exterior ornaments depict symbols of printing history. Portions of the building, including the interior Memorial Library, were designed by architect Charles Klauder.

  • View from west

  • Calumet Plant R R Donnelly and Sons Company A Chicago IL.jpg

    Corner tower

  • Calumet Plant R R Donnelly and Sons Company C Chicago IL.jpg

    Base of tower

  • Calumet Plant R R Donnelly and Sons Company D Chicago IL.jpg

    Detail of piers

See Also

References

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  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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