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Frank Lloyd Wright Studio- Oak Park, IL
For those that love the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, a visit to Oak Park is a required pilgrimage. A trip to the place where many of his early works were created, to the studio where the Prairie style was born. What awaits is a beautiful Shingle style house, built for his first wife, paid for with a five thousand dollar loan from architectural icon Louis Sullivan. Things didn’t end so well with Sullivan, or his first wife, but architecturally, Wright flourished in Oak Park. Completed in 1889, the Oak Park house embodies many of Wright’s iconic architectural principles. Constructed of brick and cedar shingles, with olive green trim, the…
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Chicago Architecture Gallery
Some cities are just obscenely photogenic. Blessed with good architectural bones and stunning skylines, they look good from practically any angle. Chicago is most certainly this type of town; the photographic opportunities are limitless. Markedly different depending on the season, it is a city of contrasts. Towering glass skyscrapers share the streets with Victorian Brownstones; grand green spaces sit adjacent to bleak rail yards. It is an old city with soul, that absolutely shines in front of the camera.
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Buckingham Fountain- Chicago, IL
Buckingham Fountain is probably one of the most recognizable water features in the United States. Really. Who hasn’t watched Married with Children, at least once. Over twenty years later, it remains a syndication staple; which means, several times a day you can see the iconic intro featuring the fountain from the comfort of your own home. Even so, you should really go see it in person. Spectacularly sandwiched between the surrounding skyscrapers and Lake Michigan, its dancing waters are absolutely magical. Competed in 1927, the fountain was designed by Beaux Arts architect Edward H. Bennett, with sculptures by Marcel Loyau. Based on the Latona Fountain in Versailles, it’s meant to…
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Chicago Cultural Center- Chicago, IL
The Chicago Cultural Center, once the city’s Central Public Library, may just be the most impressive building in Chicago. Which is a bold statement, as Chicago is nothing short of an architectural wonderland. Completed in 1897, the quality of construction and attention to detail is beyond breathtaking. A beautifully preserved piece of the past, it continues to inspire all who visit today. The Chicago Public Library system itself was founded after the city lost its entire circulating book collection in the Great Fire of 1871. Sympathetic to their plight, books poured into the city from around the world. British authors and statesmen alone sent over 8,000 volumes, including signed books…
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Palmer House Hilton- Chicago, IL
I love historic hotels with grand lobbies. Ornate architecture, soaring ceilings, and massive murals make for stunning spaces you just don’t want to leave. All of these things apply to the lobby at Palmer House Hilton; it is a feast for the eyes, filled with treasures waiting to be discovered. A Beaux Arts beauty, with Art Deco details, it is absolutely not to be missed. The current hotel, considered by some the longest continually operating hotel in America, is actually the third to bear the Palmer House name. The first, an extravagant wedding gift from Potter Palmer to his wife Bertha Honore, was constructed in 1871. It was open for…
