Archive for the ‘Architecture’ Category
Daniel Burnham
Daniel Burnham was born September 4th, 1846 and was undoubtedly one of Chicago’s most influential architects. He was a famous American architect,Urban Planner and was the Director of Works for the World’s ColumbianExposition. He really set the bar with his work on the World’s Columbian Exposition, he was up against extreme weather, unrealistic time constraints, political hurdles and a limited budget. Despite all of these obstacles, Burnham was able to create magnificent grounds for the fair, including grand boulevards, classical building facades, gardens and small rivers. The fair grounds became known as the ‘White City’ because all of the structures were white. Read More
John Hancock Building
The John Hancock Building on Chicago’s Michigan Ave. is no doubt one of the world’s most recognizable buildings. It stands strong at 100 stories tall and was completed in 1970. The massive structure is home to a mix of retail, office and residential space. A full forty nine floors is dedicated to residential condos. The building is home to a handful of restaurants as well, the most well known are the fun and very popular CheeseCake Factory and the elegant, mature Signature Room. Read More
shedd aquarium
The Shedd Aquarium is one of Chicago’s most cherished structures. It was created by John G. Shedd who was the former president of Marshall Field and Co. He started the project with a $3 million donation and was very inspired by Daniel Burnham’s vision to beautify the city and his “make no little plans” motto. Unfortunately, John G. Shedd passed before the structure was finished but his wife was there to cut the ribbon on opening day. After over a million gallons of water were shipped by railway from Florida, the Shedd Aquarium opened on May 30, 1930. Today the Shedd strives to educate and inspire. Read More
Aqua
This 82 story residential/hotel building was designed by architect Jeanne Gang. Located at 225 N Columbus Dr. it’s a new edition to the Lakeshore East community. Chicago’s Architecture is truly amazing! Click > Aqua Tower <for video on the Aqua Skyscraper. Read More
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) was absolutely one of the best architects in history. He was born and raised in Wisconsin but left school to move to Chicago to pursue his dreams in architecture. After years of study, he opened his own firm in Chicago and eventually moved it to Oak Park, IL. He believed that architecture should merge with the environment. Read More
Chicago-Even beautiful in the winter
Winter Bean! This fresh piece of architecture actually called The Cloud Gate was constructed between 2004-2006, and is the center piece for Millennium Park. It’s polished seamless exterior is made up of 168 stainless steel plates welded together. It’s shape caused people from all over the world to call it the name that stuck. The Bean. Stay tuned. Spring and Summer Bean coming soon!
Trump Tower
The Trump Tower is the newest addition to the Chicago skyline, located at 401 N. Wabash Ave. The massive building houses a top notch hotel and luxury condominiums. The building is only a year old but stands as the second tallest building in the skyline, only to the Sears… er… Willis Tower. Read More
The Water Tower
The Water Tower which stands at the intersection of Michigan and Chicago Avenues is one of the nation’s most treasured landmarks. It is now deemed a tribute to the victims of the Great Chicago Fire and stands as a reminder of all the lives lost and the effort it took to rebuild our beloved city. It was built in 1869 and was one of the only structures to sustain the blaze in 1871. Initially the tower was built to equalize pressure and minimize the pulsations of the water flowing throughout the mains. Now it is the City Gallery which is the official photography gallery of the city. There is no doubt that the Water Tower is a symbol of our city’s “I Will” spirit and strength to survive. Read More