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By Marcia Ross, Class of  1994
Photographs by Larry Ross unless noted

The Trustees System Services building, known today as Century Tower, is a lesser-known gem among Chicago’s Art Deco buildings.  Nestled in the crisscross of two elevated lines, on the NE corner of Lake and Wells, passersby might hurry along to avoid the din of the trains! Opening in 1930, this 28-story tower was designed by Thielbar and Fugard for the bank which specialized in loans to Midwestern farmers and laborers and was a victim of the Depression, failing in 1933.

It was the tallest reinforced concrete building in the world in 1930, and it allegedly included a speakeasy (the Skyline Restaurant) during Prohibition.

The Art Deco emphasis on vertical thrust is enhanced by the building’s exterior enameled reddish brick which becomes progressively lighter from the base to the top, culminating in a ziggurat tower with a terra cotta crown.

The building is rich in deco detail, including bas relief sculptures adorning the exterior and interior.  Created by Eugene and Gwen Lux, the 10 allegorical limestone sculptures surrounding the entrance to the original bank lobby tell the history of banking and commerce from the earliest days of barter to today (1930!) when “credit moves the modern world.”

Above the front entrance, between the second and third floors, also by the Luxes, are Greek mythological figures, including Hermes (representing commerce). The Luxes’ contribution to the lobby itself would be considered politically incorrect today with two bas relief sculptures: one depicting a prosperous looking man shown with his home, surrounded by a beehive, owl, and vineyard and the phrase “Life prospers the thrifty” while the other depicts a ragged-looking man atop a rock surrounded by thistle and thorns and “Life punishes the thriftless.” The ornate lobby features marble from various locales, including unusual blood-red marble quarried in Algeria.

Sandwiched between the 2 story glass panels of the banking lobby’s front entrance is a grid-like cut-steel grillwork by Chicago artist Edgar Miller, representing farmers, miners, and manual laborers. The bronze elevator doors of the office tower lobby are etched with flowers, leaves, and ziggurats in the stylized Art Deco manner.

The building had several different owners and several different names as the 20^th century progressed.  It was renovated by FitzGerald & Associates, and in 2003 became a condominium building, Century Tower, which has since been converted to rental units. It was designated a Chicago Landmark in 2004.

About the Artists:
The architectural firm of Thielbar & Fugard was founded in 1925. Frederick J. Thielbar was previously associated with Holabird & Roche, where he worked on several significant buildings. John Reed Fugard’s early practice was with George A. Knapp in the firm of Fugard & Knapp, which designed three buildings on East Lake Shore Drive. Among many landmarked buildings designed by Thielbar & Fugard are the McGraw-Hill Building and Wesley Memorial Hospital, and the firm collaborated with Giaver & Dinkelberg on the design of the Jewelers Building.

Eugene and Gwen Lux, husband and wife, worked together on the McGraw Hill Building as well as TSS. Both studied with Ivan Mestrovic, known in Chicago for the giant figures of Native Americans on horseback at the Congress Plaza entrance. Gwen was the more prominent artist, working alone following their divorce.

Edgar Miller studied at the Art Institute and collaborated with several significant architects, including Andrew Rebori, Howard Van Doren Shaw, and Holabird & Root. Interests in folk art and mythology are reflected in his work.  Currently on exhibit at the DePaul Art Museum is Edgar Miller: Anti-Modern, 1917–1967, running through February 23, 2025.

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