6901 N. Ridge Boulevard

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6901 N. Ridge Boulevard, Birdcage Apartments

2013 Annual House Tour

This spectacular looking apartment complex, nicknamed “the birdcage” for its steel-rod stairway, was designed by Don Erickson (1917-2006). He was an apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright from 1948-1951 and then established his own practice in the Chicago area. He designed many custom homes in the northern suburbs including his most famous project, the Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale.

The building stands out in a neighborhood of watered down Georgian Revival buildings. The cream rough-stone curved flagstone and curtained wall gives the corner apartments a view of open space. The architect has also used the slope of Ridge Boulevard to develop a variety of apartments types to the north of the main pavilion. The courtyard originally had a reflecting fishpond.