Chicago By Boat
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The Sears-Willis Tower: for 25 years the tallest building in the world
Arts and Crafts, Art Deco, International, Modern, Post-modern : Chicago has all the design styles! Due to a great fire in 1871 destroying most of the city, Chicago became a clean slate for new architectural innovations and designs at home and from abroad. By 1885 the city had the first skyscraper, and for years was home to the world’s tallest skyscraper, the Sears Tower. Today the city continues its architectural innovative tradition by boasting the most LEED certified buildings of any American city. Consequently, Chicago makes for a perfect location to host the National AIA (American Institute of Architects) Convention. The AIA was founded in 1857 by Richard Morris Hunt and other architects to advocate for the importance of the architectural profession.
(For more about Richard Morris Hunt see this post)
Chicago's Skyline from Lake Michigan
The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 gave a purpose to rebuild, but how did a city in the Midwest have the resources to make Chicago the densely constructed city it is today and why the need for skyscrapers? Chicago became a major US city due to it location and its ability to ship items throughout the entire nation. Serving as a great central railroad connection for the US, Chicago’s rail-lines radiate out to locations all over the nation. Additionally, The Chicago River, a man-made system of canals, allows cargo to travel from the Great Lakes, down the Mississippi River to New Orleans, and ultimately to the Gulf of Mexico. These two elements made Chicago an essential location for many businesses, particularity ones that do a lot of shipping. Today the Chicago River is used primarily for recreation and is also an excellent way to meanders through the city to experience its architectural sights.
Here are some highlights from a recent journey on The Chicago Architecture Foundation’s River Cruise.
Not by Boat
Although not all visible by boat, there are a lot of designs by notable architects throughout Chicago. Millennium Park, has the striking Pritzker Pavillion by Frank Gehry. The Illinois Institute of Technology’s (IIT) campus designed by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe has recent additions designed by Helmut Juan and Rem Koolhaas. Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago, is a quick trip on the “L’s” Green Line and showcases Frank Lloyd Wright’s early work. If great architecture is in order, Chicago has much to offer!
Pritzker Pavillion by Frank Gehry
Ask an educator: we would love to hear your questions
The following post was partially inspired by an Appitecture follower’s inquiries about Chicago's Architecture. I hope this answers some questions Kaitlin. If there are any other places readers want to learn about and see featured in our blog, make suggestions in the comments area below.
