Here’s how you can rent the 1930s-era ‘“House of Tomorrow”

bKL Architecture is heading up rehab work for the 10-sided glass structure built for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair

House of Tomorrow (Credit: BLK Architecture)
House of Tomorrow (Credit: BLK Architecture)

The National Park Service is enlisting Chicago-based firm bKL Architecture for a restoration of the “House of Tomorrow,” a 10-sided glass home that was built for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair to showcase such modern curiosities as air conditioning, an electric dishwasher and automatic garage door.

But first the park service needs to find a tenant who will bankroll the $3 million in repairs, according to Chicago Magazine.

The tiered building, designed for the Century of Progress International Exposition by architect George Fred Keck, was acquired by the National Park Service in the 1960s and moved by barge to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore along with a handful of other structures left over from the fair. In the 1990s, preservation group Indiana Landmarks kicked off an effort to lease the buildings and organize rehabilitation projects, then sublease them to private tenants who pay for the repairs.

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bKL Architecture could begin its rehabilitation of the structure this year, according to Chicago Magazine. The firm will build “21st-century materials” into the 3,755-square-foot property while preserving its remaining historic elements, according to the firm’s website.

One of Chicago’s top architecture firms, bKL designed Belgravia Group’s Renelle on the River condo building and is partnering with Studio Gang on Magellan Development Group’s Vista Tower[Chicago Magazine]Alex Nitkin