[1]: 7  The Prairie style is also present, subtly suggested in the design of the bathing pavilion with its long, horizontal proportions, square towers, and rooflines with wide, projecting eaves.

Detailed by Tuscan columns, the towers are covered by pyramid-shaped roofs with very wide eaves supported by wooden brackets suggestive of the Prairie style.

[1]: 4  The 1899 completion of Chicago's innovative drainage canal which allowed for the diversion of sewage that had previously emptied into Lake Michigan increased swimming's popularity considerably.

[1]: 4 Several years later, the commission began planning state-of-the-art bathing pavilions for Chicago, visiting well-known beaches throughout the nation in search of an appropriate model.

[1]: 6 Between 1916 and 1917, a ten-acre beach extension was finished, but restrictions on building materials due to World War I delayed completion of the bathing pavilion until 1919.

[8] The 63rd Street Beach Bathing Pavilion suffered severe deterioration over the years, from decades of wind damage and lack of use (for a while, the park district stored boats and other equipment in the courtyards).

[9] The building was featured in the movie, "Barbershop 2: Back in Business" in a scene in which Queen Latifah teaches defense techniques to women and the dancing fountains in the courtyard serve as a backdrop.