National Dormitory

  

People's National Dormitory of the Revolution
View of the front of National Dormitory
General information
Type	Government
Architectural style	Art Deco
Location	Chicago, Illinois, United Commonwealth
Current tenants	Secretariat of the United Commonwealth, Central Committee of the Continentalist Party, General Secretary of the Contientalist Party
Construction started	April 20, 1869 (1869-04-20)
Owner	Government of the United Commonwealth
Height
Roof	340 ft (100 m)
Technical details
Floor count	18 base, 25 tower
Floor area	4,000,000 square feet (372,000 m2)
Design and construction
Architect	Alfred P. Shaw

The National Dormitory, officially the People's National Dormitory of the Revolution is the official residence of the Secretariat of the United Commonwealth. It also serves as the residence for the members of the Central Committee and the General Secretary of the Continentalist Party. When opened in 1930 it was the largest building in the world with 4 million square feet (372,000 m²) of floor space. Constructed in 1928 it was designed by Alfred P. Shaw and the Graham, Anderson, Probst & White firm. Utilizing the Art Deco style, the government believed the art style as revolutionary and embodied socialist aesthetics.

The first four floors are utilized by the United Commonwealth Post Office, several retailers and as a repository of the Continental States National Syndicated Bank. The National Dormitory's centralized location has made it a popular destination for Chicago citizens to preform daily commerce. Located on the eastern section of the building are several large wholesale vendors which distribute handcrafted furniture and finished goods. It was formerly the headquarters of the Continentalist Party until it moved to Sears Tower in 1973. While opened to the general public it is heavily patrolled by the Praetorian Regiment of the Continental Revolutionary Guard.

During the First Great War the building sustained significant damage during an artillery bombardment and was renovated in 1934 to reinforce the building. During renovations the building's foundation was also improved and a eight leveled bunker was built beneath it. Appearing in movies and songs, it was featured in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) and was the focus of Lana Del Rey's song Art Deco (2015).

Building

Four stories of the building are dedicated to the living quarters of the Central Committee and the Secretary's of the Commissariats of the United Commonwealth. The Committee Dormitories consist of four bedrooms, study, conference room, three bathrooms, personal kitchen, dinning room, living quarter and a garden. Secretary's of the Commissariats are granted only two bedrooms, a living quarters, one bathroom and a kitchen.