Rising dramatically from the flat Illinois prairie, the Chicago skyline forms a mountain range made of stone, steel, and glass. Since the late 19th century, architects and engineers have repeatedly taken a seemingly impossible idea and made it a towering reality. “Remember, we’ve got this compact downtown,” architecture critic Lee Bey told Chicago Stories. “So there’s no place to go but up. In order to get high, you have to be inventive.” Each skyscraper has a story, and those stories reveal how each generation of Chicago skyscrapers shaped the next, pushing design and engineering to new heights…literally. The result is one of the world’s most recognizable skylines – diverse in materials and styles, photogenic from every angle, and a testament to Chicago’s enduring role as solid ground for architectural innovation.... Read More

In our opinion, there’s no bad view of the Chicago skyline. Whether it’s looking north from Promontory Point, south from the Lincoln Park Zoo Nature Boardwalk, from a boat on Lake Michigan, or maybe even out the window of an ‘L’ train, our skyline is one of those magical things about Chicago that can stop you in your tracks. What’s your favorite view? Tell us where it is, what you love about it, and share your photos!

When John H. Johnson set out to build a new headquarters for his growing publishing empire, he knew he wanted a Black architect. For the founder of the Johnson Publishing Company, the parent company of the influential Ebony and Jet magazines, the building itself had to make a statement. But in the late 1960s, finding a licensed Black architect proved to be a challenge. Finding financiers who would back one was even more challenging.... Read More