The InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile hotel was built to function as an exclusive men’s club for the Shriners/Freemasons. Originally the Medinah Athletic Club, an organization with roots in the Arabic world, the art and architecture of their Chicago hotel and club borrowed heavily from various Middle Eastern historical designs.
Although the club closed its doors soon after opening due to the onset of the Great Depression, restoration work done in the 1980s closely followed the original design and recreated many of its iconic features. Public areas of the building interior are lavishly ornamented and a four story lobby space is organized around a grand staircase.
