The North & Clybourn station house still stands with very few alterations, looking west on November 4, 2001. The curved elevation, tall glass windows with metal trim divided into panels by granite piers, and flat roof emphasize the streamlined effect typical of the Art Moderne style. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

North/Clybourn (1600N/800W)
North Avenue, Clybourn Street and Halsted Street, Near North Side

Service Notes:

Red Line: State Street Subway

Owl Service

Quick Facts:

Address: 1599 N. Clybourn Avenue
Established: October 17, 1943
Original Line: State Street Subway
Previous Names: none

Skip-Stop Type:

Station (1949-1979)

Station (1979-1995)
Rebuilt: n/a
Status: In Use

History:

Designed by the firm of Shaw, Naess and Murphy in 1939, North/Clybourn is the only facility in Chicago's Initial System of Subways to have an above-ground headhouse. Built as part of the State Street Subway in the early 1940s, the station house is an example of "Depression Modern" architecture, perhaps more commonly characterized as Art Moderne. The only station on the entire "L" system to use Art Moderne in such a high-style fashion, the design features many of the elements common to the Bauhaus-derived style. The building has a sleek, streamlined appearance, shaped like a quarter circle (or a wedge), with the two flat elevations along North and Clybourn avenues and a third elevation curved to connect the two. Interestingly, the curved side is designed as the principle elevation but faces neither of the streets that the station serves. Rather, it fronts onto a driveway that wraps around the east side of the station that served as an off-street bus transfer location -- first for trolley buses and later for motor buses -- which was a very early example of transit stations designed for intermodal connectivity.

The headhouse interior is an open, airy space that is flooded with natural light during the day thanks to the tall glass curtain walls divided by thin metal mullions and framed by granite piers. This view looks north in the unpaid area on November 4, 2001. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
The North and Clybourn avenue exterior elevations, as well as a short elevation facing the corner of North and Clybourn, have brick facades with a granite watertable and a concrete cornice. The curved elevation, whose form emphasizes the streamlined effect, is treated as a glass wall divided into panels by granite piers that support a canopy. Above the canopy, the rest of the exterior is brick topped with a concrete cornice. Typical of the Art Moderne style, the station has a flat roof. The large windows are divided into square and rectangular panes with aluminum or stainless steel mullions and trim. Originally, the concrete cornice was decorated with large stainless steel letters that said "SUBWAY" -- once above the doorway on the corner narrow elevation and once each over the doors to the main waiting room at the east ends of the North and Clybourn facades -- now long removed from the exterior.

The primary area of the interior is a large, open, airy space at the east end of the building. The east wall is the curved elevation that leads to the bus turnaround, whose tall windows allow large amounts of natural light into the fare control area. There are also doorways onto the streets on the north and south walls which originally had rotating doors, though only the south one onto Clybourn remains. In the center of the building is a stairway down to mezzanine-level passageways, which is surrounded by auxiliary and support rooms. Hallways originally ran on both sides between the exterior elevations and the center support rooms, connecting the fare control area on the east side of the building to the entrance on the corner of the North and Clybourn at the west end of the building. Subsequently, the west entrance was turned into a rental concession (inhabited by a Currency Exchange for much of its life), with the south hallway blocked off for use by the concessionaire and the north accessible only by CTA® personnel. After passing through the turnstiles, passengers go down a doublewide staircase to a mezzanine level. Here, it splits into two paths: one goes directly down to the northbound platform, while the other leads to a hallway underneath Clybourn then down to the southbound platform.

The interior build-out and finishes of the North/Clybourn station differ in many ways from the other State Street Subway stations, which otherwise all more or less follow the same pattern. Besides forsaking the more typical mezzanine fare control area for an above-ground station house, there is no use of the gray structural glass panels that adorn the walls of the other State Street Subway stations. The interior of North/Clybourn uses 1" x 2" gray glazed tiles on all interior walls, from the station house to the mezzanine and in all of the stairwells, which are otherwise only used in the street-to-mezzanine stairways and high-level transfer tunnels in the other 1943 subway stations. All of the inlaid signage and wording on these walls thus does not use the trademark Futura-derivative subway typeface but rather forms words by coloring certain tiles black rather than gray. Otherwise, the station had the passenger conveniences typical of the other subway stations, including men's and women's public restrooms, lockers, drinking fountains, and pay phones inside "soundproof" booths (which actually did insulate the user from most outside noise, in spite of its seemingly open design). The fare control booth consisted of stone walls with a small ventilation grate near the bottom and glass windows on all four sides. Turnstiles were steel and the station house and mezzanine hallway had smooth concrete floors.

The dual side platforms -- only one of three subway stations not to have an island platform -- were more typical of the other subway stations. The platforms had red no-slip concrete floors, curved concrete ceilings and I-beam steel columns running down the trackside edge of the platform. The platform walls opposite the tracks were clad in white ceramic tile from the floor to about 7 feet up, with a blue tile border along the top. (Blue was North/Clybourn's "accent" color, one of four rotated between the subway stations.) Fluorescent lights illuminated the platform, running along the center of the arched ceiling over the platform and under the soffit between the columns. Illuminated signs hung over the exits from the platforms and the station's name -- "NORTH & CLYBOURN" -- was inlaid in the platform tile wall using the subway's signature typeface.

Originally leading off from the mezzanine passage to the southbound platform was an auxiliary exit to Dayton Street. Splitting off from the hallway where it curves to the vertical access to the platform, a short series of stairs led to an intermediate level with two rotogates. Beyond these rotogates was a flight of stairs that led to the southeast corner of Clybourn and Dayton, across the street from the station house. At some point, this auxiliary exit was closed, with the street level entrance removed and sealed with concrete and a metal grate and a curtain wall built over the passage from the mezzanine hallway. It is not clear when the auxiliary exit was closed, though it may have coincided with the closure of two other auxiliary exit from State Street Subway stations -- the Polk exit to Harrison and the Ohio exit from Grand/State -- in the summer of 1968. All three were arranged so they could be converted to auxiliary entrances if desired, but none ever were. Tiled signs directing passengers to the Dayton exit were removed by having the tile pigment bleached or otherwise lightened, but the wording is still evident in the hallway walls.

In later years, the area around the station declined and patronage dropped. Warehouses and industrial uses were situated to the northwest and the Cabrini-Green public housing complex was to the southeast. As deterioration and disinvestment set into the surrounding community, the station was used less and some maintenance was deferred. In January 1982, North/Clybourn became a "part-time" station, with no service on night, weekends, and holidays to save the cost of the station agent. The hours of the station were expanded just under a decade later when some weekend and holiday service was restored during daytime hours in Fall 1991, but the station remained closed nights. The station's part-time status was repealed on June 24, 1995, after which the station would remained open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Other changes in North/Clybourn's service pattern occurred in the CTA's® A/B skip-stop system, resulting in some of the most inconsistent platform signage on the "L" system. The KDR-era name signs are green, harking back to its days as a B station (1949-1979). Later, it became an A station (1979-1995) and the green symbol signs were replaced with red ones. The green name signs remained, but later, the red symbol signs were replaced with blue symbol signs, instead of the A station-standard red. (In later years, the color-coding of signage to adhere to the A/B system was dropped and all station signs were blue.) Of course, now that the A/B skip stop system has been abandoned it's all moot anyway, but it makes for a rainbow assortment of signage on the platforms.

Today, this station has been changed very little. The station house still retains its design integrity and little has been altered. The exterior and interior are in good structural shape and the exterior masonry has faired well. The windows are intact, but need some maintenance. The interior tile walls in the station house and mezzanine were cleaned and re-grouted in 2002 and look good. The red concrete floors are worn from years of foot traffic, but are not cracked or otherwise deteriorated. The original agent's booth is intact, including the vintage "TICKETS" sign over the agent's window. Fairing the worst are probably the platforms, especially the wall tile. Much of the original tile remains, but some is being held to the wall with bolts and square washers, while some large sections have been replaced with white tile of a clearly different type and size. In March 2003, CTA® began an escalator modernization at North/Clybourn with pre-construction work for the rehabilitation of the two mezzanine-to-platform escalators. Construction to these escalators started later that month. Rehabilitation involved completely stripping an escalator of all parts and replacing it with new or reconditioned parts, keeping only the original outer shell. The work continued through Summer 2003. On the northbound platform, the Moderne illuminated sign box over the exit remains and in Spring 2003, new sign faces were made for it with replications of the original graphics, including the correct colors and the specially-designed Futura-variant typeface used in Chicago's Initial System of Subways stations.

Ironically, as part of the program to modernize North / Clybourn's signage, one of the station's original 1940s inlaid tile signs has been uncovered and cleaned, visible for the first time in several decades, seen on May 10, 2004. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
North/Clybourn received new platform signage in late April 2004. The dual subway platforms received new station name signs and new column symbol signs. The old KDR name signs were unusually large -- they were, in fact, fabricated as two halves installed next to each other, as the sign was deemed too large to produce as one piece by the manufacturer two decades ago -- and also had an unusual criteria for placement: they covered the original station name signs that are inlaid in the glazed tilework of the platform wall. The new Current Graphic Standard signs, with the combined station name sign and colored tabs on each end, also fit over the tile signs (albeit barely). But one original tile sign has been left exposed. On the northbound platform, the tile sign immediately to the north of the stairs/escalator to the street is exposed to public view for the first time in a couple decades. The lettering, reading "NORTH & CLYBOURN", is molded into the glazed block of the platform's back wall and is executed in the subway's signature Futura-variant typeface. The lettering is blue, reflecting North/Clybourn's "accent" color. Together with the illuminated exit sign over the doorway to the stairs/escalator just a few feet away (which also uses the station's historic color and typeface; the box is original, though the faces are actually reproductions), this makes this little corner of North/Clybourn a pleasurable throwback to the World War II-era opening days of Chicago's first subway! At street-level, three backlit boxes were also installed under the shallow canopy that extends over the curved side of the exterior along the bus turnaround, each with a modified station entrance sign. These were installed in March 2004.

Owing to the building's age, the redevelopment of the surrounding community with trendy shops and upscale housing, and the increase in ridership that has followed, North/Clybourn has been included in the CTA's® "Front Door Program", an initiative to add amenities and make aesthetic improvements to station entrances throughout the rail system. At its June 4 , 2003 monthly meeting, the Chicago Transit Board approved a $569,973 contract for Chicago-based Camp Dresser & McKee, Inc. (CDM) to design and prepare construction bid documents for the Front Door Program, which includes seven stations (North/Clybourn included). Upgrades at the seven stations will include station identification signage, new fencing, reconfigured turnstiles, improved lighting and heating systems, benches/street furniture, improved bus waiting areas and bus information panels, landscaping and windbreaks, though not all seven locations will receive all of these improvements. Funding for this contract is provided by the FTA and the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA).

The platforms at North/Clybourn -- southbound side is seen here looking north on November 4, 2001 -- are still largely in original condition. Still in evidence are the platforms' red no-slip concrete floors, curved concrete ceilings and I-beam steel columns running down the trackside edge of the platform. The platform walls opposite the tracks are still clad in white ceramic tile with a blue tile border along the top, though deterioration has necessitated bolts and square washers to keep some of them in place. The station's name -- "NORTH & CLYBOURN" -- inlaid in the platform tile wall are covered by the large, green station name signs. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

 

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The Art Moderne North & Clybourn station house, looking southwest circa 1985. At this time, the station was intact but falling into disrepair, in part because of the declining neighborhood around it. Note the incandescent light bulbs still in place under the canopy and the signs over the station entrances that note the station's "part-time" status. (Photo by Olga Stefanos)

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Scenes from the film Ali, about the life of boxer Mohammed Ali, were shot on the "L" on Friday, March 16, 2001. This included use of historic PCC cars from IRM (see photos below) and some location shooting at North/Clybourn. Although the station is only seen briefly in the film, production designers modified the station platforms to remove as many modern additions as possible to facilitate the filming of the scenes, which take place in the late 1960s. The KDR-style signs were covered with colored paper and the modern schedules, garbage cans, and recycling bins were removed. Some old-style benches and advertisements (for Campbell's Soups, savings bonds, and the like) were installed to give the station a more 1960s feel (although ads were never pasted on the walls like that). There were also extras in evidence at the station, including persons dressed in period clothes. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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The North/Clybourn station house, looking east on November 4, 2001. This view shows the Clybourn elevation, with its brick facade and row of multi-paned metal framed windows, as well as the short elevation that faces the corner of North and Clybourn. The doorway on the corner originally lead to the station interior and two hallways that led around to the front and the fare controls. It now leads to the commercial space created in the west side of the interior, occupied by a Currency Exchange at the time. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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Seen here are excellent examples of different versions of the same CTA® sign. The one on the left was an earlier version from after North/Clybourn became an A station around 1980. Here, the "N" is larger, the rest of the information is more compacted at the bottom and the background is red, symbolizing that its an A station. The sign on the right replaced it. Here, the "N" is smaller and, despite the fact that its was still an A station, the sign is blue. (Signs from the collection of Graham Garfield)

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This version of the sign predates the previous two and was only in place for a few years until the station was changed from a B station to an A station in 1979. Its dimensions and graphic layout are nearly identical to the red A station sign above left, indicating that it was probably make from the artwork from this sign, one of the first KDR signs applied at the station in the mid-1970s. (Sign from the collection of Andrew Stiffler)

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The new signage at North/Clybourn, installed in April 2004, included new column symbol signs and new station name signs, seen looking north on the southbound platform on April 26, 2004. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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Decked out in the Spirit of Chicago paint scheme of the 1980s, 5-50 series car 22 stops at North/Clybourn on May 6, 2001 as part of IRM's PCC fantrip. The car bears the sign of the Green Line Lake-Englewood "A" run; though Englewood "A" trains would have run through the State Street Subway between 1949 and 1993, they were not part of the Green Line then. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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Bearing an Evanston Shuttle destination sign, car 22 brings up the rear of a three-car IRM charter train of PCCs at North/Clybourn on May 6, 2001. (Photo by Mike Farrell)