Transformations at the Illinois institute of Technology
by Paul
Kulon | Special Assignment
February 1,
2012
(CHICAGO)
The physical transformations of a university reveal changes
within the institution and society at large. The exploration
of architectural evolution at the Illinois Institute of
Technology illustrates the university’s changing
relationships within an evolving world.
Genesis
In 1893,
doors opened at the Armour Institute of Technology. The
school is named after Chicago meatpacking tycoon Phillip
Armour who donated a million dollars to launch the
institution. Its mission is to grant students mechanical and
electrical skills in a rapidly industrializing society.
Armour
Institute of Technology is housed in two handsome buildings
on State St. and 33rd Street. The buildings used the periods
traditional tripartite design formula. The first set of
floors are clad in grand stone that grounds the buildings
into the earth and provide a pedestal for the next series of
floors built of red brick and elongated by extended arched
windows. One building is capped with a cornice line, while
the other utilizes gables.
The
buildings’ large scale and noble design distinguish the
Armour Institute as a legitimate institution among the
tenement, working class neighborhood that surrounds it. The
buildings embody the opportunity that the institute
provides-
In 1938,
Armour Institute hires German architect Mies Van Der Rohe
to lead its architecture program. In 1940, Armour Institute
merges with Lewis Institute to become
the Illinois Institute of Technology and a decision is made
to construct a new campus. The project is used within a
larger urban renewal scheme and six adjacent blocks are
cleared. The Armour Institute’s buildings are the only two
structures that survive. Mies Van Der Rohe is commissioned
to design the new campus, which is to express the IIT’s
technological mastery.
Into
Modernity
The rapid
technological advancement in middle of the 20th century is
seen as a great benefit and hope for society. It even
warrants the destruction of entire neighborhoods to allow
for great leaps forward as witnessed at IIT. In the new
campus, the old Armour buildings are sidelined and ignored,
now viewed as dated relics.
The tabula
rasa on which Mies is to build is itself largely
unprecedented. History was physically destroyed to make way
for the new and “modern”, themes of great interest to
architect in command.
Mies’
architectural ideology demands the convergence of technology
and aesthetics where buildings express their structural
order. His mathematical and minimalist designs are to be
realized with the modern materials of glass and steel.
Although
constructed in piecemeal, the campus is design as a whole
and conveys cohesion and order. The master plan is similar
to Radiant City plan for Paris by Le Corbusier. Black glass
boxes rigidly aligned on a plain green landscape. Dorms are
on one side, educational buildings are on the other. The
interiors are characterized by clear spans, unobstructed
open spaces and glass walls that reduce the distinction
between inside and out. As a collection the buildings are
very striking and powerful. The gem of the group is Crown
Hall, a massive glass and steel building with 56,000 square
feet of uninterrupted space that houses the architecture
program where a new generation of designers is developed.
Indeed,
The Illinois Institute of Technology enjoyed a growth in
both enrollment and prestige as the campus grows. Mies’
profile is elevated and he builds defining structures like
the Federal Center in the heart of Chicago. His disciples
further reshape the built environment and skyline, like
Fazlur Khan’s Hancock and Sears Towers. The design
principles pioneered at IIT spread far beyond Chicago’s near
south side.
Although
Mies’ modernism defined its epoch, the movement proved
fallible as the paradigm began to shift. Adjacent to the IIT
campus, massive modernist housing projects were built that
descended into crime and destitution. It proved that there
was not one solution to all design challenges. Modernism
began to be viewed as cold, anonymous and not responsive to
human needs. Modernism’s hegemony throughout architecture
also made it dull and boring.
With the
century about to conclude, Mies and modernism had become old
and dated. The Illinois Institute of Technology had not
erected a new building in decades, the university’s
enrollment was down by half from its height and a malaise
lingered in the school.
A New
Millennium
If the
Illinois Institute of Technology was to regain its stature
and attract prospective students it needed to do something
bold. In the 1990’s IIT began a capital fundraising campaign
to shape the next century at the university. A central
component would be new construction that would upgrade
student services and the campus experience. Shortly into
the new millennium, IIT produced two bold new buildings.
The
McCormick Tribune Campus Center was designed by rising Dutch
architect Rem Koolhaas who fused numerous student
life activities into a single building utilizing a dramatic
array of forms, materials and colors. The interior is
defined by a wide array of options and juxtapositions. An
assortment of materials, forms, spaces and uses intersect in
a vivid sensory experience. The building has a dramatic
relationship with the elevated train, which runs directly
above it. The structure has a massive tube that engulfs the
tracks and the train, minimizing the sound as it passes with
a functional and visually dramatic solution. The theme of
the building is create a dense urban environment through the
intersection of uses and people, something that doesn’t have
often on the IIT campus. Even the rumble on the train
reminds everyone that they are a part of the city. The
powerful display of stimulus and individuality is in stark
contrast to the internal voids and external anonymity of
Mies’ designs.
The State
Street Village is residence hall design by IIT alumni and
Chicago Architect Helmut Jahn. Also taking a cue from
the adjacent train, the gray cylindrical structure is a city
block in length separated by semi-enclosed courtyards. The
building continues the urbanization theme of the Campus
Center across the street by raising the population of
students living on campus. Yet the building is more
restrained aesthetically and creates a middle ground between
Koolhaus and Mies.
The two
structures illustrate postmodern architecture, an evolution
from Mies forming the new centers of campus life. They
embrace the train and its urban connections, embedding it as
an actor with the IIT campus environment and not treating it
as a scar. The buildings succeed in refreshing IIT’s image
and reenergizing the campus. They mark the progress of one
century while looking forward to the next one.
Conclusion
The
history of the Illinois Institute of Technology is embedded
in its architecture. Critical periods in the university’s
development are clearly seen in the Armour Institute, Crown
Hall and the McCormick Tribune Campus Center. It begins with
two substantial buildings of stone and brick offering a
technical education for a better future. This idea grows and
is given radical expression through a new campus of glass
and steel in a momentary triumph of modernism. In the end,
change is the only constant and time demands transformation
and reinvention in new forms. The McCormick Campus Tribune
Center embraces the high level of stimulus of our
information age. IIT once exerted itself onto the city and
the built environment. Today, the relationship of the
between the city and the university is a dialogue and
conversation where influence goes both ways.
*
* * *
*
The new "Northwestern
University: The Campus Guide" captures the architecture of
the University. Written by Jay Pridmore, an architectural
historian, the guide includes approximately 200 beautiful
photos of both campuses by Peter Kiar, a noted Chicago
architectural photographer. This video features several of
Kiar's photos from the guidebook, which was published by
Princeton Architectural Press.
Wheaton,
Illinois, a prosperous community situated in the western
suburbs of Chicago, takes pride in preserving its rich
culture and history. Back in the mid-nineteenth century,
the city’s founders – Erastus Gary, Jesse Wheaton, and
Warren Wheaton – gave the growing railway free right-of-way
through their claimed land. From there, the community
flourished and Wheaton was finally incorporated as a village
in 1859. This prosperity lead to the foundation of the
prestigious Wheaton College that same year and the
acquisition of the DuPage county government seat several
years later in 1867. Nearly 150 years later, Wheaton is
proud to be the home of some very unique landmarks such as
the Chicago Golf Club along with notable residents such as
Wes Craven, Harold “Red” Grange, Edwin Hubble, and the
Belushi Brothers.
Naturally,
Wheaton’s principal historical events had plays an integral
part in its architecture; the timeless flagstone facades of
Wheaton College, the eclectic Gothic look of the
Theosophical Society, or the monumental feel of the Old
County Courthouse have set the standard for architecture in
Wheaton. In the 1950’s, during the population boom, the
streets of Downtown Wheaton were adorned with charming
storefronts and terracotta facades. Beautiful homes,
ranging from Victorian to Tutor styles, surrounded Downtown
Wheaton. In the late 80s, the development of Stratford
Square mall to the north and the Danada Shopping Center to
the south stratified the commercial life which left the
downtown area virtually deserted. Starting in the mid-90s,
Downtown Wheaton has been seeing a “renaissance” or sorts
where new shops, restaurants, and condominiums have been
developed to rejuvenate the downtown area.
The
architecture of these new establishments have nonetheless
maintained the historical and traditional feel of the
downtown area - employing the use of classical orders,
brick, flagstone, and wrought iron. This “renaissance” also
can be seen in the restoration of old buildings such as the
brilliant art deco Wheaton Grand Theater. However, like any
town, Wheaton is not without its modern eyesores; Wheaton
Center Apartments, two monolithic cement high rises standing
over twenty stories each, dominate the city skyline and
substantially detract from Wheaton’s quaint feel.Overall,
Wheaton’s architectural adherence to its rich history and
tradition makes the city a charming place that hundreds of
thousands of people – past and present – are proud to call
home.
Visitors
often describe Glencoe as a quaint community far removed
from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Located just 20
miles north of Chicago, the Village of Glencoe is bordered
by Lake Michigan, the Cook County Forest Preserve and the
Glencoe Golf Course. Glencoe is a quiet Village of
approximately 9,000 residents with abundant parks, superb
schools, convenient beach facilities and one of the most
attractive business districts along the North Shore.
Many of
Glencoe's earliest homes were summer residences for Chicago
families. Later, when the train made daily travel to the
city possible, more permanent homes were built. These were
large, set on even larger lots. The land east of the tracks
was laid out in lots that ran along the contours of the lake
and the ravines. Streets west of the tracks were laid out in
a grid.
Victorian
Gothic and Italianate homes became popular in the 1870s and
'80s. These had wide porches and projecting bays and were
painted in exciting colors. A few of these early homes still
stand. On Greenleaf Avenue are some of the homes built by
the members of the Glencoe Company, as well as several other
old Victorian structures.
A Mansard
home was built in the early 1870s at 341 Lincoln. The
architect was William W. Boyington of Highland Park, who
designed the Chicago. Water Tower on Michigan Avenue a few
years earlier. The home was remodeled in 1919 but still
stands as a fine example of the style.
A number
of Midwestern towns can boast houses designed by Frank Lloyd
Wright: Oak Park, Ill., and the Madison, Wisconsin area, to
mention two. But Glencoe has a whole subdivision, giving it
the third largest collection of Wright houses in the world.
Revival
architecture brought back classic columns as well as
Colonial, Tudor and English manor designs. Many Glencoe
homes reflected this trend. The Tudor Revival style was very
fashionable following the first World War and an elaborate
example, with leaded windows, gables and four imposing
chimneys, was built for department store magnate E.F.
Wieboldt in 1929. The architect was Ralph Edward Stoetzel,
who himself lived in Glencoe for 50 years. Georgian
architecture also was popular in Glencoe in the '20s and a
beautiful example is the Alfred Watt House at 640 Washington
Place. Built in 1928, the house was designed by William H.
Furst of Armstrong, Furst and Tilton in a combination of
styles. The street side of the house is typically Georgian
in its simplicity of design. The back, which faces onto the
golf course, boasts an elaborate Classical temple front,
with portico and four Corinthian columns. Popular North
Shore architect Robert Seyfarth designed a home in 1928 for
J.C. Aspley that is suggestive of a cottage in the Cotswolds.
Brothers
George and William Keck were pioneers in passive solar
architecture. Their firm was responsible for the design of
26 moderately priced, low maintenance homes in a 1950s
development in Northeast Glencoe. Flat roofs, skylights and
floor-to-ceiling built-ins are some of the features of the
innovative homes which were geared toward free flow of air,
maximum light and uninterrupted views. The Keck & Keck
Subdivision is in North Glencoe, between Green Bay Road and
Lake Shore Country Club. There are other Keck houses
scattered throughout Glencoe, two of them back up to one
another on Brookvale Terrace and Redwood Lane.
Following
World War II, the land to the west of Glencoe was opened.
Architect-designer Greta Lederer's Strawberry Hill
subdivision featured the popular new bi-and tri-level homes.
Other contemporary architectural landmarks include a 1956
glass and siding structure, overlooking the lake, designed
in the Post-Prairie style of William Ferguson Deknatel, and
a 1975 Stanley Tigerman metal and glass modernist design,
with an astronomy dome, a photographic darkroom and an
indoor pool.
No
overview of architecture in Glencoe would be complete
without mention of Minoru Yamasaki's 1964 house of worship
for North Shore Congregation Israel, built on a 19-acre
lakefront site at 1185 Sheridan Road. The graceful design
conveys a feeling of flight with its high arches. An
addition, executed by Thomas Beeby in a post-modern design,
round at the front, was completed in 1982.
Libertyville is a northern suburb of Chicago, located in
Lake County, Illinois. It is a smaller town of about 21,000
people, located right off of the Des Plaines River. The town
is organized around a main street; flower shops, bakeries,
coffee shops, clothing boutiques, and parks line the main
street, creating a lively downtown. In the downtown area
rests a train station that many individuals from
Libertyville use to commute to Chicago. Libertyville is
approximately a fifty-minute commute from downtown, and
relies on this commute, for there is not a huge commercial
portion of Libertyville. The town has a very historic feel
to it, with older homes and historic buildings that are
still occupied today. The town has been going through
renovations trying to preserve the historic charm. On the
other hand many individuals have torn down older homes to
rebuild more contemporary homes. Through this process some
argue that tearing down the old homes takes away charm from
the quaint town. Along the Des Plaines river a series of
nature preserves have been established, including
Independence Grove, which is an outdoor recreation park
surrounding a 115 acre lake.
The
architectural styles in Libertyville are typically older
European styles. Many of the houses are either New England
colonial, Victorian, or contemporary versions of older more
classic styles. The town uses a Victorian style to dress up
simple facades. The details are typically found in corner
towers and headings. The front doors are also dressed up to
create an established and welcoming street front. When
describing an all American town, Libertyville is nothing
short of the definition. With its historic Main Street,
small quaint homes, and American flags hanging from every
doorway and street post, Libertyville uses its architecture
to set the tone for the American Dream.
Lincoln
Park was named after a vast stretch of park which runs along
side Lake Michigan belonging to the Chicago Park District.
The neighborhood is anchored by the Lincoln Park Zoo and
DePaul University; bordered by Wrigleyville (Lakeview) and
North Center to the North, Bucktown and Logan Square to the
West, Old Town and Gold Coast to the South and extends East
to Lake Michigan.
Lincoln
Park conveniently located from Chicago’s downtown loop is
just a seven minute train ride on Chicago’s CTA Redline. The
community ranges from college students to middle/upper class
residents with an estimated median income of 85,000 yearly
per household. In 2007, Lincoln Park was recognized as the
second wealthiest community in Chicago with only the Gold
Coast ahead of it. Forbes magazine named the area between
Armitage St, Willow St, Burling St, and Orchard St as the
most expensive block in Chicago.
The
majority of Lincoln Park holds an old-fashioned appeal,
reinforced by rows of brown and gray-stone walkups and
ornate, vintage architecture. But with new developments
being introduced daily, Lincoln Park’s new modern appeal is
coming up close and personal with that historic vintage
architecture. Lincoln Park is also home to a large amount of
boutiques, retail stores, bookstores, restaurants and coffee
shops. There are also many bars and clubs in the area,
especially along Lincoln Avenue between Wrightwood and
Webster providing a truly unique and different experience
from the downtown Chicago atmosphere.
(Information was gathered from wikipedia.org and
cityofchicago.org)
University
Village is a renamed near west Chicago community consisting
of newly constructed residential and retail properties. The
University Village/Little Italy community cherishes its rich
past as one of the first neighborhoods of Chicago. The
community is home to mixed-income residents from ethnically
diverse socio-economic backgrounds as a result of
immigration, urban renewal, gentrification and the growth of
the resident student and faculty population of the
University of Illinois at Chicago.
University
Village, Chicago, consists of major new residential
developments over old known Chicago neighborhoods. One such
development is the Ivy Hall development, over the area once
known as the Maxwell Street neighborhood. This development
took one of the poorest neighborhoods in Chicago and made it
into a middle- to upper-class income area.
The
University Commons development and University Station were
created from the defunct South Water Market, historically
known as the distribution point for Chicago's produce and
agriculture market. The Roosevelt Square development was
created over the remains of the now demolished public
housing area that was under the auspices of the Chicago
Housing Authority called the ABLA homes.
The
Chicago and North Western Railway built tracks through the
area in the 1850s, thus providing a relatively quick and
convenient route to Chicago. In the mid 1860s, a group of
Chicagoans, soon to be Norwood Parkers, formed the Norwood
Land and Building Association, purchased several farms,
subdivided them and platted a suburban village. The first
post office was built in 1870 and the first store in 1871.
The
Village, originally named Norwood for a New England town in
a Henry Ward Beecher novel, was renamed Norwood Park when it
was discovered that another Norwood had already been
established in Illinois. Residents of the Village and its
immediate area, generally displeased with services provided
by Jefferson Township, established the Township of Norwood
Park in 1873. The township was composed of portions of four
other townships: Jefferson, Leyden, Maine and Niles. The
Village of Norwood Park was incorporated in 1874. The
Village was annexed to Chicago in 1893.
The
Village of Norwood Park was designed to be a park like
residential suburb with large lots, wide streets and elegant
single family homes. One unusual feature is its curvilinear
street pattern. A 1907 real estate sales brochure described
Norwood Park as a place with "proper living conditions,
fresh air and sunshine, good surroundings, a healthy
religious activity,...[and], no saloons." By the 1920s,
Norwood Park was a mature residential community. As the
community evolved, the early Victorian homes were joined by
Tudor, bungalow and ranch style homes. Downtown Norwood Park
is centered at Northwest Highway and Raven Street near the
recently restored C&NW (now Union Pacific R.R.) train
station. Additional retail and commercial activities are
located on Higgins Road, Harlem and Milwaukee Avenues.
Since
1980, the Norwood Park Historical Society has been seeking
landmark designation for a district and individual buildings
in the community. The City of Chicago identified a large
historic district in 1986. The Noble Seymour Crippen House
at 5622-24 N. Newark Avenue was designated a City of Chicago
Historical Landmark on May 11, 1988; the John Wingert House
at 6231 N. Canfield was designated on July 31, 1990. The
Noble-Seymour-Crippen House was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places on August 11, 2000;
the Norwood Park train station was also listed, in 2001.
The
community of Lake Forest, located 31 miles north of
the City of Chicago on the west shore of Lake Michigan, is
recognized for its natural beauty, sensitivity to open space
and preservation of its historic structures and
landscapes. Vibrant business districts, including the
historic and charming Market Square, welcome residents and
visitors alike. Chartered in 1861, the City of Lake Forest
is home to prestigious businesses and residential locations
and offers many excellent schools and cultural institutions.
Lake Forest is physically
distinctive not only because of its picturesque street plan,
but because of the early date when it was platted. Of the
suburban communities in America that were planned in the
nineteenth century, according to the picturesque principles
worked out for English gardens and American rural cemeteries
and parks, Lake Forest is one of the very earliest, coming
only five years after the first such town in America,
Llewellyn Park, New Jersey, was founded in 1852. The Lake
Forest plan, platted in 1857, is notable because its
architect, the landscape gardener Almerin Hotchkiss, went on
to create such other important picturesque places in the
Midwest such as Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis. The
general concept reflected in the Hotchkiss plan is of the
city in a park, with its streets laid out in an organic
manner that takes into account such natural features as the
ravines and lake bluffs, instead of forcing the street plan
into a formal gridiron plan.
In
addition, Lake Forest is also noted for the quality and
character of its architecture whether erected for
residential, religious, educational or public purposes.
Although the names of some of the earliest architects
working for Lake Forest clients are still unknown, it is
probable they were among the foremost of their profession
practicing in Chicago. One of the earliest architect who we
know to have worked in Lake Forest was Henry Ives Cobb, who
built his estate in Lake Forest in 1890. Other noted Lake
Forest resident architects were Charles Frost and Howard Van
Doren Shaw, both of whom also maintained estates. Even such
well-known eastern architects as James Gamble Rogers and
Charles Platt were called upon to design for Lake Forest
clients. In short, the quality of the architecture in Lake
Forest was very high, and the quality of its construction
equally so.
It is
these same factors that give Lake Forest its historical
significance, that also make the estate areas of residential
Lake Forest historically and visually distinctive. In
addition, it was the concentration in Lake Forest, probably
more so than in any other community west of the Hudson
River, of a vast assemblage of impressive estates laid out
by important architects for some of most influential
families of Chicago that makes both Lake Forest and its
estates especially significant. Coupled with its unusual
location high on the bluffs overlooking an inland sea, and
its equally rare early picturesque plan, Lake Forest is a
unique place of special historical and physical distinction.
Wicker
Park is a historical but progressively trendy
neighborhood situated northwest of the Chicago Loop and is
part of the West Town community area. It is bounded by
Armitage Avenue on the north, Division Street on the south
with Ashland Avenue and Western Avenue being its eastern and
western boundaries respectively. Today the neighborhood is
best known for its numerous commercial and entertainment
establishments and being a convenient place to live for
downtown workers (due to its proximity to the Loop). As you
take stroll down Milwaukee Avenue, you can visibly see how
far the neighborhood has come as it boasts several decades
of various architectural periods. The avenue is bursting
with colorful boutiques, retro clothes stores, cafés,
restaurants and bars with an electric energy bouncing from
one side of the street to the other. It is the home to many
of Chicago's finest artisan-led galleries and shops. The
neighborhood is one of the largest communities of working
artists in Chicago. Notable past residents include Nelson
Algren who once lived in one of the most elegant Victorian
homes located south of the park. Founded in 1870, Charles
and Joel Wicker purchased the land. Its history is full of
immigrants which settled into this area most notably
Germans, Polish, and Jews dating from the late nineteenth
century. In recent times, Wicker Park has become more
ethnically diverse with an influx of Puerto Rican's and
African Americans migrating north in the 1950’s continuing
through its current threat of gentrification due to the
area's resurgence and popularity.
Architecturally, while the city's pioneering skyscrapers and
engineering marvels tend to be crammed into the Loop, the
northwest district of Wicker Park has its own rare and
beautifully maintained urban residential jewels. Nineteenth
century Victorian homes which were spared from the wrecking
ball of "progress" now make up what has been designated an
historic district since 1991. The historic district starts
at Hoyne Avenue once known as “beer baron row” because a
number of wealthy German and Scandinavian brewing tycoons
who built their mansions there in late 1800's. These
structures are almost entirely comprised of brick and stone
resulting from its residents having witnessed the
vulnerability of wood construction succumbing to the fire
1871. As you take a walking tour through the streets your
eyes are drawn too the most beautiful decorative Victorian
era details from wrought iron scrollwork, table leg columns,
and massive ornamental canopies dominating the many
entrances in eye-popping gold, ochre and blue color schemes.
Of course, the wide and varied number of noteworthy homes
and buildings would make it difficult to fully represent
this community in its entirety here, but we hope that the
few select images we found begin to shape and define for you
the wonder and beauty that is Chicago's Wicker Park.
Gurnee
was a city that was first established in the 1830’s, and
throughout most of its history it had the focus on being a
rural, farm community. Back in the 1930’s the town’s
population was a mere 503 people, where as the population
today is well off into the mid 30,000 mark. The idea of
suburbia began to flourish, and this is what made Gurnee
what it is today, a community. There is no better word than
community for Gurnee and its intentions to provide people
with a town to raise their families. The town also hosts a
wide range of architectural styles, which give the town
character. The most common style is a more contemporary
track housing, which sets up a series of large neighborhoods
where one sees backyard barbeques, kids playing in the local
park, and the friendly wave from a neighbor.
Gurnee is
also a place for attractions. Right in the center of Gurnee
is Six Flags Great America with a built on water
park, Gurnee Mills being a large outlet mall, Key Lime
Cove being a resort and indoor water park, and many
recreational spaces for residents to play in: HuntClub
Aquatic Center, Warren Township Park, Independence
Grove, Viking Park, etc. All of these attributes provide
Gurnee with a family fun atmosphere that many take advantage
of. While Gurnee is a town with huge attractions and large
numbers, it still maintains a small town feel, which
provides a nice balance between community and recreation.
Lemontis
located at the crossroads of the nation's interstate system.
Interstate I-55 (Stevenson) is five miles to the North.
I-355 is the first exit off that expressway to get you to
the Northern suburbs. I-294 (Tri-State - Indiana &
Wisconsin) is just a few miles north on I-55. I-80 passes 15
miles south of Lemont; but a more convenient extension of
I-355 (leading to the Southwest suburbs) has recently been
completed with an interchange in Lemont. Settled in 1836,
and incorporated in 1873, historic Lemont is one of the
oldest and most unique communities in northeastern Illinois.
With rolling hills and three waterways providing a scenic
view, Lemont offers a peaceful atmosphere unique to the
Chicagoland area.
Lemont's
colorful early history began in the late 1830's with the
construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, and with
the influx of immigrant workers who settled and remained. By
the mid 1800's, limestone quarrying became the big business
in Lemont and was the main cause of the town's growth. Many
fine local examples of buildings constructed with Lemont
limestone still exist, including the Historic Chicago Water
Tower landmark on Michigan Avenue.
To
preserve its rich history, active efforts continuously are
under way to revitalize the downtown area and maintain the
distinctive architectural presence, which exists. As
part of the transformation, millions of dollars have been
invested in revitalizing the downtown area and more work is
in process. Streetscapes, renovated buildings, small parks,
new bike paths, and linkage with other towns along the I&M
Canal National Heritage Corridor, have helped new businesses
as well as visitors and shoppers. Residential growth
has boomed, providing the prospective resident with a wide
range of housing styles and options. Hilly, tree lined
streets provide neighborhoods with a distinctive character
and quality of life.
Photographs taken by Mark
Sandrzyk, Lemont High School
Kenilworthis
located approximately 17 miles north of downtown Chicago. It
is the newest of the eight Chicago suburban communities
fronting on Lake Michigan, commonly referred to as “the
North Shore”, and is the only one developed as a planned
community. The first land for the Village was purchased by
Joseph Sears in 1889: 223.6 acres, at a cost of $150,300.
Seven years later the population had reached 300 residents,
fulfilling the legal requirement for incorporation.
Joseph
Sears possessed definite ideas about how a village should be
planned. Streets were platted to maximize the availability
of sunlight in each home, utilities were placed underground,
no alleys or fences were permitted, construction standards
were high, and there were large lots and paved streets. A
village whose center lies in the family should also have a
church and a school. Mr. Sears gave land for both.
The beauty
of the village attracted many distinguished residents
including architect and town planner George W. Maher, and
early purchaser. A contemporary and colleague of Frank Lloyd
Wright, Maher, in due course, proceeded to design
approximately 37 homes in the village. His town planning
expertise and civic dedication further enriched the village
with most of the parks and civic sculpture – including the
entry fountain, stone benches, planter urns, bridges and
entry pylons – that residents enjoy today.
Photographs taken by Peter
Foradas, New Trier High School
Lakeshore East is a new and emerging neighborhood
which occupies the high profile section of real estate along
the lakefront, just east of downtown and on the northern
edge of Chicago's Millennium Park. It is one of the
city's largest community undertakings in over 20 years.
The neighborhood consist of 7 of 18 proposed high-rises
which includes the 82-story Aqua, a cutting-edge building
designed by Chicago-based architect Jeanne Gang, a 6-acre
centrally located park, plans for 4,950 low-rise
"parkhomes," plus hotel rooms and retailers over 28 acres of
property under development by the Magellan Group.
Chinatown is a small but growing Asian
ethnic community on the near South Side of Chicago. Its
located in Armour Square and is centered around Wentworth
and Cermak Avenues. Chinatown is growing in popularity with
tourists, Chinese-Americans, and area residents for its
commercial district of restaurants, shops, and ethnic
architectural attractions.
Architectural
Attractions
Ping Tom Memorial Park
1999, (along the Chicago River)
Pui Tak Center-Chicago
Landmark (2216 S. Wentworth)
Won Kow Restaurant,
1927-28, (2233-2239 S Wentworth Avenue)
The Moy Association
Building, 1928 & 1932, (2238 South Wentworth Avenue)
Chinese Christian Union
Church, founded in 1903, (23 South Wentworth Ave)
St. Therese Church, 1904
(218 West Alexander Street)
St. Therese School,
founded 1941 (247 West 23rd Street)
Chinese Consolidated
Benevolent Association, 1956-58 250 West 22nd Place
River
North
is a neighborhood in the Near North Side community area of
Chicago, Illinois. It is bounded by Rush Street to the east,
Chicago Avenue to the north, and the Chicago River to the
south and west. is one of Chicago’s premiere shopping
districts, and is Chicago’s Design District and Chicago’s
Gallery District and boasts world-class restaurants and
trendsetting nightclubs. Past and present meet in an
eclectic mix of modern condos, high-rise offices and hotels
that soar over vintage loft buildings with the architectural
richness of times past.
River
North has had many faces over the years. In the 1890’s,
after railroad tracks were laid along the Chicago River’s
North bank, industry moved in. Soon, the area became known
as “Smokey Hollow”. After World War II, manufacturing
declined and factories closed or were converted into
warehouses. By the mid-1970’s, it was an urban wasteland
with many neglected or abandoned buildings. Then the revival
dawned. Low real estate prices and large spaces attracted
the artistic set and creative entrepreneurs. They moved in
and began the reclamation.
Great
old buildings were rehabbed into great new galleries,
studios, offices, apartments, restaurants and shops. Unusual
boutiques are now a hallmark of River North, offering
antiques, custom housewares, home furnishings and much more.
Lofts from the 1890’s to 1920’s attracted lawyers,
architects, advertising agencies and other businesses.
River
North now boasts the highest concentration of restaurants
and entertainment venues in the city. River North is home to
the largest number of art galleries outside of Manhattan in
New York, and remains one of the fastest growing residential
neighborhood in Chicago.
Enjoy the
virtual stroll that we've provided through the neighborhood
to get a visual feel for one of Chicago's most popular
destinations.
Greektown is a primarily
ethnic
commercial district on the Near West Side of Chicago. Its
boundaries are defined by Van Buren Street to the south,
Madison Street to the North and along Halsted Street which
is a few blocks west of the Loop. The area was once home to
Chicago's Greek population but presently few ethnics reside
there while mostly restaurants and bars dominate the main
streetscapes. With a cultural museum, annual parade,
monuments, banners and classical architectural
embellishments and facades, Greektown remains an
identifiable cultural destination to experience for tourists
and Chicagoans alike.
Hyde
Park was founded by Paul Cornell in the 1850s on the
Illinois Central Railroad south of Chicago. The community
organized as a township and was independent of Chicago until
1889. As a township, Hyde Park stretched from 39th Street
south to 135th Street, but as a neighborhood, its definition
shrank to a core area grouped closely around Cornell's
development on 53rd Street and the lakefront. Today the name
Hyde Park is applied to the neighborhood from 51st Street
("Hyde Park Blvd.") to 61st Street. The neighborhood's
eastern boundary is Lake Michigan and its western boundary
is Washington Park. Some refer to the area between 47th
Street and 51st Street ("E. Hyde Park Blvd.") as a part of
Hyde Park, although this area is technically the south half
of the
Kenwood neighborhood.
Chicago
Architecture brings you a sampling of the architectural
flavor of an area rich in style, diversity and historical
significance. This is Hyde Park.
If you
would like to have photos which feature your architectural
interpretation of your neighborhood or city, send us an
email with your submissions to
sightlines@chicagoarchitecturetoday.com. If we use
them, we will post your name and desired information in
recognition of your work.
