06/01/2026
If you take an elevator 40 floors up into the iconic 190 South LaSalle skyscraper in Chicago’s Financial District, the doors will open to reveal a jaw-dropping sanctuary that looks like it was pulled straight out of a dark academia novel.
With its soaring arched ceilings, massive windows, and glowing chandeliers, this breathtaking space is simply known as "The Library."
But despite looking like a centuries-old European reading room or a hidden chamber at Hogwarts, it actually holds a surprisingly corporate history.
When this towering postmodern skyscraper was built in the 1980s, this stunning, two-story room wasn't designed for the general public.
It was originally created as an exclusive, sky-high law library for the building’s high-powered legal tenants.
The architects intentionally leaned into classic, opulent design to impress top-tier law firms and their clients. The upper mezzanines are lined with over 50,000 identical, leather-bound legal tomes, while the lower level features incredibly cozy, curtain-draped reading nooks perfectly engineered for deep focus and confidential, hushed conversations.
Today, however, you no longer need to be prepping for a massive courtroom trial to enjoy its dramatic elegance.
While it still operates as a luxurious, quiet retreat for the building's current office workers during the day, The Library has been cleverly transformed into one of Chicago's most sought-after hidden event spaces.
By night, this beautiful literary haven trades legal briefs for champagne flutes, hosting spectacular weddings and exclusive private galas where guests can mingle among the historic stacks while taking in sweeping, panoramic views of the city skyline.