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Architecture

Chicago's Chinatown library branch, designed by Brian Lee of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Photo: Jon Miller © Hedrich Blessing

Architect Brian Lee Brings the Expertise Required for Skyscrapers to Neighborhood Buildings

Daniel Hautzinger

Brian Lee has designed one of the tallest buildings in the world as well as neighborhood-level buildings such as three libraries in Chicago. "To be able to reinforce and maybe enhance a neighborhood with a building—I think that’s a great positive goal of architecture and urban design,” he says. 
800 Fulton Market. Photo: Courtesy SOM

Nine Asian Architects Whose Work Can Be Found in Chicago

Geoffrey Baer

Whereas once Chinatown leaders had to turn to Norwegian architects, now there are noteworthy buildings and sites by Asian architects throughout Chicagoland, from skyscrapers to a library to a synagogue. Geoffrey Baer explores some. 

Illinois Institute of Technology's Kaplan Institute. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Innovative Chicagoland Buildings Striving for Sustainability

Geoffrey Baer

Geoffrey Baer highlights some Chicago buildings addressing climate change by striving for net-zero energy, incorporating renewal energy sources, repurposing existing buildings, and incorporating agriculture, among other things.
GEMS World Academy and Aqua from Lakeshore East Park in Chicago. Photo: WTTW

Women Architects Who Have Made Their Mark on Chicago

Geoffrey Baer

Architecture remains a male-dominated field, but women architects have made their mark upon Chicago and architectural history. Discover a few of them and their projects, from downtown skyscrapers to transit centers and schools.
The Harvey Public Library in Harvey, Illinois. Photo: Lee Bey

Some Oft-Overlooked Contributions of Black Architects to Chicagoland

Lee Bey

Black people’s contributions to Chicago's historic architectural legacy have been a story less told for too long. Architecture photographer and writer Lee Bey celebrates a few of them around Chicagoland. 
The Copernicus Center in Chicago's Jefferson Park. Photo: Meredith Francis/WTTW

Geoffrey Baer Explores Polish Chicago

Geoffrey Baer

October is Polish Heritage Month, the perfect time to explore Polonia, or Polish Chicago. Geoffrey Baer takes you on a tour of some sites that evoke the community's rich and influential continuing history in Chicago. 
The Penthouse Hyde Park. Photo: Anna Munzesheimer

Where to Go During Open House Chicago 2021

Daniel Hautzinger

Open House Chicago is back, allowing you to peek inside more than 100 sites across Chicagoland on October 16 and 17. Given all the standout options, we've chosen a few highlights that we think are especially worth visiting. 
William Walker's "Wall of Daydreaming and Man's Inhumanity to Man" at the corner of 47th and Calumet in Chicago. Photo: Lee Bey

Tracing Muhammad Ali's Memory in Chicago - A Photo Essay

Lee Bey

Muhammad Ali was born in Louisville and attained global fame, but Chicago played an important role in the boxing legend’s life. Discover some of the locations that marked Ali's remarkable life during his time in Chicago.
The Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist, in downtown Chicago

The Varied Lives and Architecture of Chicago's Christian Science Churches

Daniel Hautzinger

You can find stately Christian Science churches tucked away in neighborhoods as well as downtown, although most now serve other purposes, whether re-developed as residential spaces or concert halls or as a worship space for another denomination.

First Church of Deliverance in Chicago. Photo: Lee Bey

The Bold Architecture of Chicago's Black Churches

Daniel Hautzinger

Discover some of Chicago's most architecturally extraordinary Black churches. "I think there's a conscious push to embrace the new," says architectural photographer and writer Lee Bey, "of throwing off the chains of the past."
The Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower in Chicago Photo: Sawyer Bengtson on Unsplash

As Blair Kamin Leaves the 'Chicago Tribune,' Revisit His Favorite Place in Chicago

Daniel Hautzinger

Blair Kamin has announced he is leaving the Chicago Tribune after 33 years, 28 as its architecture critic. A frequent guest on Chicago Tonight, he once shared his favorite place in Chicago and a story about his first review. Revisit it now.

A courtyard in the Carl Street Studios. Photo: Eric Allix Rogers

Where to Go During Open House Chicago 2019

Daniel Hautzinger

On October 19 and 20, you have the chance to peek behind those facades you’ve always wondered about, during Open House Chicago, when more than 350 locations open their doors to the public. It's hard to choose from so much variety, so we chose some highlights. 
The John Hancock Center, c. 1970. Photo: Chicago History Museum, Hedrich-Blessing collection

X Marks the Sky: 50 Years of the John Hancock Center

Daniel Hautzinger

Before the John Hancock Center, now 875 N. Michigan, was built 50 years ago, the tallest towers in Chicago were the Daley Center and Lake Point Tower. Soon after, the advances of the Hancock led to the Sears Tower and Standard Oil Building. Discover the influence and legacy of this Chicago icon. 

A young Geoffrey Baer getting ready for a road trip

Geoffrey Baer's Architecture Road Trips

Daniel Hautzinger

Chicago isn't the only place in the Midwest with exceptional architecture. Geoffrey Baer spotlights road trip-worthy destinations within driving distance of Chicago, from well-known marvels to hidden gems in unexpected places. 
Jay Pritzker Pavilion and the Chicago skyline in Millennium Park. Photo: Tony Webster/Wikimedia Commons

How Millennium Park Became "America's Most Dazzling Urban Park"

Daniel Hautzinger

Millennium Park, which opened fifteen years ago today, was supposed to be just another pleasant, dull park that would cover up railroad tracks. But the commissioning of internationally known artists and architects transformed it into an ever-popular, unique cultural destination.

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