DANIEL BURNHAM . The Railway Exchange . An Arch and a Stair

Enter the Railway Exchange through a powerful arch that defines the entrance.  Cross the Piazza to a Grand Staircase that leads to a mezzanine surrounding the skylit central space. 
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Enter the Rookery through a powerful arch that defines the entrance. Cross the Piazza to a Grand Staircase...

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Daniel Burnham's plans "worked."  Axial relationships formed an aesthetic that maximized the value of interior public space.  Whether Richardsonian Romanesque or Late Chicago School, the logic is undeniable.  And who, btw, could choose which is "better,"  Dinkelberg's "Frosting" for the Railway Exchange, or Root's for the Rookery?  A toss-up, I would say. 

Although I do have to admit that I regret the decision made that the Rookery somehow needed to be  gussied up with Frank Lloyd Wright's marble applique -- but, then, who can explain taste? 

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