Kahl Building

The Kahl Building, also known as Kahl Education Center, is an historic building located in Downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The building also includes the Capitol Theatre.Kahl BuildingThe Kahl Building is ten-stories tall and rises 146ft above the ground. It was designed by Davenport architect Arthur Ebeling who used as inspiration the works of Chicago architects William Holabird, John Root and Louis Sullivan. In fact Sullivan’s Wainwright Building in St. Louis is considered a model after which the Kahl Building was designed. Sullivan's influence can be seen in the more elaborate ornamentation on the lower floors while the upper floors are relatively plain. Their decoration is confined to recessed spandrel panels. The building is capped with a staccato pairing of round-arch windows and an elaborate cornice.In 1920, the building was constructed by Henry Kahl and Walsh-Kahl Construction for $1.5 million. It is composed of steel frame construction with stone and decorative terra cotta facing materials. The building's sense of height is highlighted by recessing the spandrel panels between the floors and behind the vertical piers. It is considered an "exceptional example of the influence of the Chicago School on commercial architecture." Historically, the building has contained 184 office suites, several retail shops, a restaurant and the Capital Theater.