Welcome to Architecture CAD Adlai E. Stevenson High School

Architecture in and around Chicago… Can you name these structures?

#1

These buildings are called Marina Towers. They are part of a development called Marina City which was designed in 1959 and completed in 1964! At the time that they were built, the two towers were both the tallest residential buildings and the tallest reinforced concrete structures in the world. The complex was billed as a "city within a city", featuring numerous on-site facilities including a theatre, gym, swimming pool, ice rink, bowling alley, several stores and restaurants, and of course, a marina, where you could park your boat!

#2

When opened in 1930, the Merchandise Mart was the largest building in the world with 4,000,000 square feet of floor space. Massive in its construction, and serving as a monument to early 20th century merchandising and architecture, the “art deco” landmark anchors the daytime skyline of Chicago. The building continues to be a leading retailing and wholesale destination, hosting 20,000 visitors and tenants per day. It occupies a whole square city block!

#3

When ground was broken for the Wrigley Building in 1920, there were no major office buildings north of the Chicago River and the Michigan Avenue Bridge. The Wrigley Building was Chicago’s first air-conditioned office building. If one walks through the center doors, they will find themselves in a secluded park area overlooking the Chicago River. Very unique for a downtown office building! The building is clad in glazed terra cotta, which provides its gleaming white facade. On occasion, the entire building is hand washed to preserve the terra cotta. At night, the building is brightly lit with floodlights.

#4

Lake Point Tower is a high-rise residential building located on an outcropping of the Chicago lakefront known also as Navy Pier. The building is the only skyscraper in downtown Chicago east of Lake Shore Drive. It was the first all electric high rise residential building in the world and pioneered the concept of the "Park in the City" being the first such residential complex in a major city to have a two and one half acre park, a duck pond, and waterfalls three stories above ground. The building also features an assortment of shops and restaurants on the second and ground levels of the complex, under the third floor park.

#5

The Standard Oil Building was constructed as the new headquarters of the Standard Oil Company. When it was completed in 1973 it was the tallest building in Chicago and the fourth-tallest in the world, earning it the nickname "Big Stan". (A year later, the Sears Tower took the title as Chicago's tallest.) Does this building look familiar to the “Twin Towers”? This building was designed by the same architects and used a very similar design as the two famous New York buildings that were destroyed on 9/11. This building has been renamed several times and is now called the AON building.

#6

The House of Blues Hotel and Restaurant were recently built in the shadows of Marina City and provide a nice contemporary juxtaposition to the older architecture. The use of organic shapes and smooth lines help to achieve this effect.

#7

Soldier Field (formerly Municipal Grant Park Stadium) is located on Lake Shore Drive. It is currently home to the Chicago Bears. It reopened on September 29, 2003 after a complete rebuild (the second in the stadium's history). With the current stadium capacity of 61,500, Soldier Field is the smallest stadium in the NFL. Reaction to the renovation was mixed. The New York Times ranked the facility as one of the five best new buildings of 2003, while the Chicago Tribune architecture critic dubbed it the "Eyesore on the Lake Shore” What do you think?

Does anyone recognize that pattern? It is a famous Pattern designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. He is one of the world ’ s most famous architects, and he is from Oak Park Illinois! We will learn all about his designs as we learn about many of his famous structures.

What ’ s that? The Sears Tower? The Willis Tower? Depends on how old you are. For my whole life this was called the “ Sears Tower ” but has recently been sold to The Willis Company and renamed. The Sears Tower is a 108-story, 1,450 feet skyscraper. At the time of its completion in 1973 it was the tallest building in the world, surpassing the World Trade Center towers in New York. Currently, Sears Tower is the fourth tallest free standing structure in the world.

Those are just a few of the awesome examples of Architecture that we will be looking at this semester! Those are all in your backyard too!!