The arcade was erected in 1890, at a cost of $867,000. The arcade is identified as the first indoor
shopping mall in the United States. and was built by
Detroit Bridge Co., run by
Stephen V. Harkness. It is one of the few remaining arcades of its kind in the United States. Modeled after the
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II located in
Milan, the Arcade comprises two nine-story towers with a
skylight, 100 feet (30 m) high, made of 1,800 panes of glass spanning over 300 feet (91 m). The construction was financed by
John D. Rockefeller,
Marcus Hanna,
Charles F. Brush and several other wealthy Clevelanders of the day. The Arcade was modified in 1939, with remodeling of the
Euclid Avenue entrance and some structural supports added. The Arcade is a cross between a lighted court and a commercial shopping street, composed of three structures: two nine-story office buildings facing out to Euclid and Superior Avenues, connected via the five-story iron-and-glass-enclosed arcade. The
Richardsonian arched entrance along Superior Avenue is original but the Euclid Avenue front was remodeled in 1939 by the firm of
Walker and Weeks. Vertical lines of the columns rise nearly 100 feet (33 m) to the glass roof and create a spacious domed interior. In 2001, the
Hyatt corporation redeveloped the Arcade into Cleveland's first Hyatt Regency hotel. The Hyatt Regency occupies the two towers and the top three floors of the atrium area. The two lower floors of the atrium area remain open to the public with retail merchants and a
food court. In addition, the Hyatt's lobby and offices are located near the Superior Avenue entrance. ==Projects==