Just south of downtown Geneva, across from the Fabyan Forest Preserve, sits this very unusual building. One frequently hears it compared to a wedding cake, and I suppose that may be an appropriate description! Personally, I find the lines of the building fascinating, and was quite pleased when I had the opportunity to photograph it recently. This building is Riverbank Laboratories, and was once an internationally renowned focal point of the vast Fabyan estate.
Riverbank Laboratories has a long and intriguing history, and has truly shaped the world we live in today. It was here that enemy codes were deciphered during World War I, that scholars looked for hidden messages embedded in the works of William Shakespeare, and the feasibility of a levitating machine, first proposed by Sir Francis Bacon, was tested! The latter of these endeavors involved the famed Sabine family of scientists whose impact on the study of acoustics is still felt today. In fact, the history of this building is so fantastic, it borders on unbelievable! If you click on the Riverbank Laboratories icon on the right, you can find an extended summary of the work done here.
I am showing you this building today because it is one of six local buildings included on the National Register of Historic Places which will be part of an upcoming tour sponsored by the Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley. The registration for the September 26-27 event is currently underway, and includes a cocktail reception at Ravine House, one of several local homes designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
For more information about the tour, click the Preservation Partners box to the right.
To look back at my prior posts about the Fabyans and their former estate, click on the related post labels below.
Riverbank Laboratories has a long and intriguing history, and has truly shaped the world we live in today. It was here that enemy codes were deciphered during World War I, that scholars looked for hidden messages embedded in the works of William Shakespeare, and the feasibility of a levitating machine, first proposed by Sir Francis Bacon, was tested! The latter of these endeavors involved the famed Sabine family of scientists whose impact on the study of acoustics is still felt today. In fact, the history of this building is so fantastic, it borders on unbelievable! If you click on the Riverbank Laboratories icon on the right, you can find an extended summary of the work done here.
I am showing you this building today because it is one of six local buildings included on the National Register of Historic Places which will be part of an upcoming tour sponsored by the Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley. The registration for the September 26-27 event is currently underway, and includes a cocktail reception at Ravine House, one of several local homes designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
For more information about the tour, click the Preservation Partners box to the right.
To look back at my prior posts about the Fabyans and their former estate, click on the related post labels below.
8 comments:
Bonsoir Kelly !
En effet cet édifice a une grande histoire...
Merci justement pour ce passage d'Histoire de la ville...
I like the "stack of boxes" like geometry of this building. Looks nice, Kelly.
This is an outstading Geneva IL website, and I thank you for your lovely photographs and ideal, simple and fun prose. I am moving to Geneva by the river in November, and enjoyed your flood photo as a document of what could happen if the Fox turns into a bear. I have seen the many youtube vids on the flooding from 2007. Thank you for a fun site, now on my Favorites.
I'll bet the blue prints for this building
were quite something. Lets box it, could
you gift wrap that for me.
surprenante architecture, elle me fait penser a un jeux de construction pour enfant.
amazing architecture, it makes me think a building games for children.
I love the architecture of this building! And the spiral staircase outside! Wow, very cool!
Love the geometrics in this bulding. The sharp straight lines with the spiral stairs. Classic building. Facinating history too. No wonder it's being preserved. Excellent post.
Wedding cake is an apt description. It's such an interesting building.
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