Classical Mondays

Sadly, or happily, summer in Chicago is coming to a close. Classes are starting, fall clothes have appeared in stores, and hopefully the weather will start getting cooler soon? But luckily one thing hasn't changed: Classical Mondays!



This, the stunning Preston Bradley Hall, is the space where Classical Mondays happen. Lunch hour, free music, a gorgeous space: how could one possibly go wrong? Preston Bradley Hall is located on the top floor of the Chicago Cultural Center, across the street from Millennium Park and a few blocks north of the Art Institute. In and of itself, the Cultural Center is a wealth of, well, cultural goings-on for the city, and it's well worth visiting their website before coming to visit.

But let's shift back to any given Monday at 12.15. Find your way up the beautiful mosaic-covered staircase to the room at the top of the stairs. In another life, the Cultural Center was the Chicago Public Library, and Preston Bradley Hall was its reading room. Recently, the PBH underwent an incredibly thorough renovation to both reposition the Cultural Center as a work of art in and of itself (which it truly is) as well as to showcase the room's ceiling. This exquisite ceiling boasts the largest Tiffany glass dome in the world, which for the last 70 years has been covered from the outside by a very ugly green iron shell. The shell was thought to be constructed during WWII, when blackouts were required of everyone, but during the renovation this past summer it was discovered that the shell was actually constructed in the late 30's, before the war technically began. Since there was no good historical excuse that the shell stay, it was removed.

And thank goodness! During the Ugly Iron Shell Period, the room was lit from the inside by wall sconces, the beautiful parchment-colored Tiffany chandeliers, and other artificial light. But now the room is awash in natural light. The walls and floor are covered in glinting, twinkling greenish-gold mosaics, creating an effect not unlike an amazing, greenish-blue aquarium. Just imagine listening to something by Saint-Saëns or, as I did the other day, a violin-piano duo playing Massenet's Méditation de Thaïs. The concerts themselves are top-notch, espresso shots of beautiful music played by some of Chicago's most talented artists. Whether you go to hear the music or visit the space, a trip to the Cultural Center should definitely be at the top of your list.

Classical Mondays
Mondays, 12.15pm, ongoing
78 East Washington (also accessible at Randolph Street)
Free!