My friend Christina in Philadelphia recommended to do an architecture boat trip in Chicago. There were lots of companies to choose from but I went with the Chicago Architecture Foundation. My boat was called "Chicago´s First Lady".
The tour provides an overview of historic and modern architecture styles, plus many stories about the people who designed and built Chicago (info taken from their brochure).
The Trump International Hotel and Tower (2009) in all its glory! It is the tallest structurally concrete building in the world. The tower sets back in relations to its neighbors as it rises to over 90 stories.
Marina City (1967) designed by Bertrand Goldberg. It is now a part of a multi use complex of residences, parking, marina, restaurant, theatre, shops and hotel.
Left of Trump Tower is 330 N. Wabash (1971) designed by Mies Van der Rohe (his last building before his death in 1969). It quietly exemplifies the austere, minimalist aesthetic of Modernism.
333 West Wacker Dr. (1983) by Kohn Pedersen Fox (his debut in Chicago). It is a good example of contextualism, with a curved, shimmering, green-tinted facade. It reflects its neighbors and the emerald green color of Lake Michigan.
Willis Tower (aka Sears Tower) (1974) designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. It was the world´s tallest building for 24 years. An introduction to the bundled tube-construction.
If you look all the way to the top left you see the glass structure where I was feeling trepidatious about stepping out with nothing under my feet but glass (from the post about being on top of the world)!
Merchandise Mart (1930) designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst and White. It is a massive two-city-block structure with Art Deco styling.
The middle building is Aqua at Lakeshore East (2009) designed by Jeanne Gang´s firm Studio Gang, based in Chicago. It was designed to show views in a variety of directions. It has unique wave-like balconies.
Lake Point Tower (1968) designed by Schipporeit and Heinrich. It is typical Chicago modernism.
And then you kind of look at Chicago with new eyes..and realize that when you didn´t think it could look any better, it actually did!
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SvarSlett"Chicago IT"