Virgin Hotels Chicago

The noted architects of movie palaces such as the Chicago Theatre designed just two office buildings. This is one of them. The exterior of Rapp and Rapp's structurally-expressive Old Dearborn Bank Building sports playful terra-cotta figures. Today, the building is the world's first location for Virgin Hotels, whose innovative smartphone check-in removes the need for a traditional lobby. The tower was restored by Booth Hansen Architects, with lively interiors by Rockwell Group. The second-floor banking lobby has been remade into the Commons Club, a bar that pairs a restored ornate plaster ceiling with funky shag-upholstered furniture.

Rapp & Rapp, 1928