original louis h. sullivan-designed troescher building oversized terra cotta spandrel fragment

adler and sullivan's 1884-85 troescher building was commissioned by anton f. troescher, a new york-based executive of the brunswick-balke-collender company, a manufacturer of sports equipment and custom millwork. the troescher building exhibited a clarity of structural expression comparable to that of later steel-frame structures. above the rusticated brownstone arches at ground level, the pressed-brick facade was articulated as a grid of continuous piers and recessed spandrels. the lunettes and terra-cotta spandrels between the second and third stories were notable examples of Sullivan's ornament of the period. the building was demolished in 1978. the terra cotta ornament was executed by the northwestern terra cotta company.