The Delightful Details of Tribune Tower

in a competition to create nothing less than the most beautiful building in the world.

The paper's grandiose publisher, Colonel Robert McCormick, offered $100,000 in prize money.

More than 200 entries poured in.

Many were startlingly modern, but the winner, by John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood of New York, was inspired by a medieval cathedral.

It was converted to condos in 2021, but it's still a monument to journalism.

Just ask Melissa Hubert-Daigre who greets residents and visitors in the lobby, which still looks just as it did in 1925.

[Geoffrey] Wow.

I'm kind of in awe.

What do you call this space?

- [Melissa] This is the Hall of Inscriptions, where the inscriptions give a nod to the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press.

We have people that come from all over the world who don't have those freedoms, and so we here sometimes take it for granted, but it's really important that we're reminded.

And here it is, inscribed into the walls, since 1925, so it's absolutely fantastic to have it as a reminder of how important that it is.

So one of my favorite quotes is right here, inscripted on the floor.

- [Geoffrey] On the floor?

- [Melissa] Yes.

It's by John Ruskin.

- [Geoffrey] Okay.

- [Melissa] And this beautiful quote admirably explains on why this building is here.

- [Geoffrey] "Therefore, when we build, let us think "that we will build forever, "and let us think as we lay stone on stone, "that a time is to come when those stones "will be held sacred, and that men will say "as they look upon the labor, "and the wrought substance of them, "see this, our fathers did for us."

- [Melissa] Isn't that awesome?

- [Melissa] Cue the violin.

(Melissa laughing) VO: In addition to the inscriptions, the lobby features this enormous relief map.

It symbolizes the Tribune's wide coverage.

But Melissa says it's special for another reason.

- [Melissa] It's not only because of its sheer size, Geoffrey.

It's because of what it's made out of.

- [Geoffrey] What it's made of?

- [Melissa] Yes.

- [Geoffrey] Like how it's fabricated?

- [Melissa] Yes.

It's made out of decommissioned US currency.

- [Geoffrey] What?

- [Melissa] Yes.

Legend has it took over one million single dollar bills to create.

It's paper mache and plaster.

- [Geoffrey] It adds new meaning to the term throw money at it.

(both laughing) VO: Like the Gothic cathedrals it's modeled on, the building is crowned with flying buttresses.

And up here underneath those flying buttresses, this was once a public observation deck, with a pretty good view, too.

VO: And like Gothic cathedrals, the building is ornamented with critters called grotesques.

But these represent journalism, like an owl with a camera, and an elephant holding its nose against scandal.

Framing the main entrance are figures of truth and rumor.

Delightful details like these can be found all over the city.