The work of Italian engineer and builder Pier Luigi Nervi fascinates and inspires half a century after the completion of his best-known works. The spiraling, web-like patterns of his 1957 […]
Category: architecture
The origins of the Beckman Institute
An excerpt from An Illini Place: Building the University of Illinois Campus, by Lex Tate and John Franch The gift (and match) to establish the interdisciplinary Beckman Institute for Advanced […]
200 Years of Illinois: Dutch windmill
On May 5, 2001, the village of Fulton officially opened the majestic De Immigrant, the 100-foot tall Dutch windmill overlooking the Mississippi River. Built in the Netherlands and reconstructed piece-by-piece […]
200 Years of Illinois: Henry Bacon, and that’s no baloney
Reverent. Classical. (Well, neoclassical.) Uncontroversial in design, though the subject has a few fringe detractors. The Lincoln Memorial began to take shape in 1915. By then, architects and others had […]
200 Years of Illinois: Mies van der Rohe in the House
On October 7, 2004, the National Register of Historic Places added the Farnsworth House, located near Plano, to its list of significant locales. Beautiful, yet a challenge to human habitation, […]
Excelsior! continued
You night think a skyline would maintain a certain consistency, an unchanging nature that reflected the fact that building a skyscraper is one of humanity’s more complex undertakings. Yet recent newsicles […]
Chicago River Bridges wins Society for the History of Technology prize
Patrick McBriarty’s Chicago River Bridges has been selected as the winner of the 2015 Eugene S. Ferguson Prize, awarded biennially by the Society for the History of Technology (SHOT). The Ferguson […]
Happy National Skyscraper Day
Once rare wonders of the world targeted by giant apes, skyscrapers have become an indelible aspect of the urban experience. Their majesty inspires local pride, their beauty elicits amazement, and […]
Larry Kanfer book signings and reception in downtown Chicago
Larry Kanfer will sign copies of his latest book CHICAGOSCAPES in the Chicago Loop on December 17th & 18th. This is a perfect gift for the holidays. Join us for […]
Best of Illinois: Look!
The Best of Illinois: Vol. 1, catalog offers cutting-edge graphic design, striking photography, a shelf of essential books, and a closeup of a bullfrog. Oh, you’ve heard these superlatives? Here’s the […]
Aqua adds to the new face of Chicago
Standing 82 stories at 225 N. Columbus Drive, Chicago’s Aqua was named the Emporis Skyscraper Award “skyscraper of the year” on September 24, 2010. This unique mixed-use residential building is featured on […]
A great decade for Chicago architecture
The AIA Guide to Chicago is the premier guidebook for exploring the architectural treasures of a city known for an urban landscape of art and innovation. It’s not only the […]