Saverio Dioguardi's Tribune Tower Proposal

Saverio Dioguardi’s proposal for the 1922 Chicago Tribune Tower Competition. The design features classical elements and a wonderfully ornate design that is low on interior space but high in flamboyancy.

Every time I research the Chicago Tribune Tower competition, I run into this proposal by Italian architect Saverio Dioguardi. His design is wonderfully flamboyant, and it’s more of a monument than a building. There’s something eye-catching about the sheer audacity of it, however, which is why I’ve singled it out here.

The design consists of a massive base and a monumental archway. Perched atop the arch is a sculptural crown that includes a large sphere supported by a number of statues. Statues appear throughout the design, which is common for triumphal arches of the Beaux-Arts style. Another example, shown below, is the Dewey Arch, which also featured statues and classical detailing. The difference between the two is that Dioguardi’s design is meant to house the offices of the Chicago Tribune newspaper. As such, the flashy design is terribly inefficient, which no doubt hurt it chances of winning the competition.

The Dewey Arch, which stood in Madison Square Park in New York. It was built as a temporary structure for a parade to honor Admiral George Dewey. The arch features classical detailing and the use of statuary. Image source.

Had it won the competition, Dioguardi’s proposal would’ve needed some major re-working in order to make it a functioning tower. The main issue is a lack of usable floor area. This is most glaring in the thin piers that support the archway. Within these piers, there would need to be lifts and stairs, and by splitting the building into two, twice the lifts and stairs would be needed. There would also need to be some sort of transition between the arch and the penthouse levels in order to get people up into the top levels, which takes up more floor area.

Another issue is that we only have this one drawing to reference. I really wish we had more documentation of the design in order to better understand it. Something like an interior view at the base would go a long way to better understand what Dioguardi was envisioning. I can imagine some sort of monumental entrance hall or a roof terrace at the base of the piers, but those will have to remain imaginary.

In the end, these issues are just nit-picking. The design is meant to be audacious, and it no doubt raised eyebrows during the competition. The one image we have of the design is meant to be evocative, and it succeeds. I see it as more of a monument than a building, and as a designed object it’s beautifully proportioned and detailed.

For more info on the Chicago Tribune Tower competition and how it fits into the history of verticality, check out the Conquering the Skies chapter of the Theory of Verticality.

Check out other unbuilt designs here.