Chicagoland Prize Homes

Design for Prize Home #10

The slim volume of designs found in Prize Homes, published in 1948, offers a unique perspective on mid-century American house architecture. Prize Homes, long out of print, directs the reader to a nearly forgotten Chicagoland Prize Homes Competition sponsored by the Chicago Tribune. Despite the impact of the contest, there are only a few minor mentions of it in scholarly literature, and nothing even close to a full-scale treatment. (In contrast, the Tribune’s 1922 contest for a building to house its offices—the Tribune Tower—is very well-known.) 

Several of the competition’s designs were executed in the Chicagoland area. Truly part of “Forgotten Chicago,” they deserve to be brought back to the public’s attention. This project seeks to trace the history of houses built from the competition’s 24 winning designs.