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Though the majority of the over 37,000 McDonald's outlets around the world hardly rise to the definition of "architecture," the company is no stranger to spectacular design: some of its first locations, built throughout the Midwest as early as 1955, were remarkable demonstrations of... View full entry
Polymath designer Virgil Abloh's 12 Figures of Speech exhibition has opened at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. The exhibition was designed by Samir Bantal, director of AMO, the research and design arm of Office of Metropolitan Architecture (OMA). A screen-printed temple front. Image by... View full entry
With over 30 years of experience as a leader and educator in architectural academia, the former dean of architecture at Tulane University School of Architecture will be joining Illinois Institute of Technology's College of Architecture. During his career, Kroloff has also stood as the director of... View full entry
In a surprising move, a federal judge ruled Tuesday that the city of Chicago was within its authority when it approved the Obama Foundation’s plan to build the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park.
After listening to nearly an hour of arguments on both sides, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey said construction of the sprawling Obama center campus can begin and dismissed the lawsuit filed by environmentalists that aimed to halt it.
— Chicago Tribune
Designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, the planned Obama Presidential Center in Chicago's Jackson Park has faced strong opposition from the start and was barred from commencing construction due to the pending lawsuit brought forward by the group, Protect Our Parks. "Even though this... View full entry
As we announced earlier this week, Stanley Tigerman passed away at the age of 88. As a full life of work lies behind the Chicago architect, we look back on his uniquely playful and humane architecture, much of which was produced in collaboration with his wife, Margaret McCurry. 1. The Titanic... View full entry
Called the NikeLab Chicago Re-Creation Center, the space feels like being inside a giant Nike shoebox designed by Abloh himself. It features the self-aware, over-indexed print labeling that Abloh is known for. The Re-Creation Center sign itself has “for promotional use only” printed on top. The rest of the space’s irony is more subtle, or arguably nonexistent. — Fast Company
Virgil Abloh is a name that's grown synonymous with what is trending in design and fashion. A connoisseur of creating new things from the simplest of concepts, Abloh's collaboration with Nike has emphasized his influence not only in design but in design culture. Having worked with some of the... View full entry
In a sign of the rising concern over the future of postmodern architecture in the American preservation community, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has named the 34-year-old Helmut Jahn-designed James R. Thompson Center in Chicago to its annual “America’s 11 Most Endangered... View full entry
The new owners of a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed cottage in north suburban Glencoe have formally requested permission to tear down the 106-year-old home, a village official confirmed Wednesday.
Wright, widely considered America’s greatest architect, designed the Sherman Booth Cottage, a flat-roofed, one-story frame house, in 1913. It served as a temporary home for Booth, who developed the architect’s Ravine Bluffs neighborhood in Glencoe, including Booth’s permanent home.
— Chicago Tribune
"If the Booth cottage were to be demolished, it would mark the second time in two years that a building by Wright had been torn down," writes Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin. "The Village of Glencoe has indicated that the demolition permit application is incomplete," reports the Frank... View full entry
After facing an uncertain fate in recent years following the bankruptcy of the Johnson Publishing Company and the sale of the firm’s historic Chicago headquarters, the psychedelic Ebony test kitchen, where the magazine’s iconic A Date with a Dish recipes were developed and tested, has found a... View full entry
As an architecture student-turn-fashion designer, Virgil Abloh has famously straddled the line between the two professions. An exhibition of his work, which has been described as 'ultramodern' and 'genre-bending,' will highlight this Interdisciplinarity at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago... View full entry
The decision – that the Petronas Towers were indeed the world’s new tallest building(s), measuring 451.9 meters to the tops of their decorative spires – was based on the re-affirmation of a standard the Council had held for some 60 years. The antennae atop Sears Tower, which took it to an ultimate height of 527 meters, did not count toward its “architectural” height, because the antennae were not considered a permanent part of the building. [...]
It was not a popular decision in Chicago [...]
— Council for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
Remember when the Southeast Asian nation of Malaysia laid claim to the title of "World’s Tallest Building" in 1996; daring to challenge Sears Tower's crown which had been the incumbent record holder since 1974? The Council for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, the organization responsible for... View full entry
For years, the Robie House limped along, a shadow of its former self, a sad state of affairs that resulted from neglectful owners or well-meaning stewards who lacked the funds to put the landmark back in order.
Now, though, that $11 million-plus project is finally complete — the house will reopen to visitors Friday — and it reminds us anew why the Robie House is one of Chicago’s, and the world’s, architectural treasures.
— Chicago Tribune
While a visit to Frank Lloyd Wright's 1910 Robie House on the University of Chicago campus used to accompany a feeling of sorrow and a bit of regret, it can now be the pinnacle of any trip to the Windy City. Interior of the Robie House, by Frank Lloyd WrightAn exhaustive restoration of the... View full entry
Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Spring 2019 It's time for Archinect's latest Get Lectured, an ongoing series where we feature a school's lecture series—and their snazzy posters—for the current term. Check back regularly to keep track of any upcoming lectures you don't want... View full entry
In the next few years, Chicago's iconic Aon Center will be getting a shiny, new glass-sheathed exterior elevator that is set to be the tallest of its kind in North America. Designed by locally based Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB), the elevator — which will be tucked into the northwest corner of... View full entry
With a 33-15 vote, the Chicago City Council [...] approved the Lincoln Yards planned development, clearing the way for Sterling Bay to move ahead with its $6 billion plan.
The developer faces a final hurdle next month when the City Council considers the creation of the Cortland/Chicago River tax-increment financing district, which would be used to subsidize infrastructure projects that would make Lincoln Yards more accessible.
— Crain's Chicago Business
Lincoln Yards previously in the Archinect news. Image: Lincoln Yards/Sterling Bay View full entry