Cover Photo Credit: Colin Boyle / Frankie Knuckles Foundation
Chicago has a wonderful reputation of being one of house music’s hotspots, as well as one of the top American cities for international EDM. Some of the most recognizable acts of house music came from Chicago. Stars like the Hot Mix 5, Ron Hardy, and Frankie Knuckles. In fact, Frankie Knuckles helped made house music into a popular genre beloved by many people worldwide, especially when he was the first musical director of ‘The Warehouse’. Established in 1977, ‘The Warehouse’ was initially a three-story former factory and it became one of the world’s must-visit locations for electronic music fans, particularly those who love house.
‘The Warehouse’: Now a Local Landmark of Chicago
Back on April 19, Urbanize had reported that ‘The Warehouse’, which is officially the West Loop building on 206 S. Jefferson Street, received a preliminary landmark recommendation from the Commission on Chicago Landmarks. This recommendation signified that ‘The Warehouse’ had met Criterion 1, which stated that it has “value as an example of architectural, cultural, economic, historic, or social heritage”. ‘The Warehouse’, which some consider it to be “the birthplace of House music”, had been a place for many underrepresent people who felt like they did not fit in contemporary society to feel fully accepted in an environment filled with a loving community, strong hopes, and the freedom to express whenever and however.
Receiving the final landmark recommendation
Finally, on June 8, ‘The Warehouse’ finally received that crucial final landmark recommendation from the Commission on Chicago Landmarks. Shown above this paragraph is a tweet from the Chicago Department of Planning and Development that confirmed the final landmark recommendation that ‘The Warehouse’ is now a local landmark of Chicago. For many house music lovers domestic and international, having ‘The Warehouse’ as a protected landmark is a huge victory for the preservation of music history. Additionally, with ‘The Warehouse’ being a protected landmark, it shows that house music has a huge place in Chicago’s history and cultural landscape as much as deep-dish pizza, the Cubs, the White Sox, jazz, and R&B.
