The Schatz Building

On the third floor of an old warehouse building, in the site of a former speakeasy, Chez Paree brought Hollywood glamour to the corner of Fairbanks and Ontario and left a lasting legacy of entertainment in Chicago. The building itself, now a Streeterville landmark, fairly burst with talent over the years. László Moholy-Nagy, former director of the New Bauhaus School in Berlin, Germany, opened the School of Design on the second floor in 1939 with the support of Walter Paepcke. The school became the Institute of Design in 1944 and remained in the building until 1949 when it left to become one of the most influential leaders in art, architecture, graphic design, industrial design and typography as part of the Illinois Institute of Technology. In addition, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, television director Joe Sedelmaier (creator of the humorous “Where’s the Beef” television commercial) and author/poet Shel Silverstein made their offices in the building at 610 N. Fairbanks, which is now called The Schatz Building. Currently housed in the Schatz Building is Chez, a contemporary event space that was named in homage to the Chez Paree.