Architecture

Black people’s contributions to Chicago's historic architectural legacy have been a story less told for too long. Architecture photographer and writer Lee Bey celebrates a few of them around Chicagoland. 

October is Polish Heritage Month, the perfect time to explore Polonia, or Polish Chicago. Geoffrey Baer takes you on a tour of some sites that evoke the community's rich and influential continuing history in Chicago. 

Open House Chicago is back, allowing you to peek inside more than 100 sites across Chicagoland on October 16 and 17. Given all the standout options, we've chosen a few highlights that we think are especially worth visiting. 

Muhammad Ali was born in Louisville and attained global fame, but Chicago played an important role in the boxing legend’s life. Discover some of the locations that marked Ali's remarkable life during his time in Chicago.

You can find stately Christian Science churches tucked away in neighborhoods as well as downtown, although most now serve other purposes, whether re-developed as residential spaces or concert halls or as a worship space for another denomination.

Discover some of Chicago's most architecturally extraordinary Black churches. "I think there's a conscious push to embrace the new," says architectural photographer and writer Lee Bey, "of throwing off the chains of the past."

Blair Kamin has announced he is leaving the Chicago Tribune after 33 years, 28 as its architecture critic. A frequent guest on Chicago Tonight, he once shared his favorite place in Chicago and a story about his first review. Revisit it now.

On October 19 and 20, you have the chance to peek behind those facades you’ve always wondered about, during Open House Chicago, when more than 350 locations open their doors to the public. It's hard to choose from so much variety, so we chose some highlights. 

Before the John Hancock Center, now 875 N. Michigan, was built 50 years ago, the tallest towers in Chicago were the Daley Center and Lake Point Tower. Soon after, the advances of the Hancock led to the Sears Tower and Standard Oil Building. Discover the influence and legacy of this Chicago icon. 

Chicago isn't the only place in the Midwest with exceptional architecture. Geoffrey Baer spotlights road trip-worthy destinations within driving distance of Chicago, from well-known marvels to hidden gems in unexpected places. 

Millennium Park, which opened fifteen years ago today, was supposed to be just another pleasant, dull park that would cover up railroad tracks. But the commissioning of internationally known artists and architects transformed it into an ever-popular, unique cultural destination.

Stanley Tigerman, a Chicago-based architect known for his idiosyncratic views and buildings, has died at the age of 88. He designed the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie and the Anti-Cruelty Animal Shelter on LaSalle Street, among other vibrant buildings. 

The exterior of the McGraw-Hill Building on Michigan Avenue may look the same as it did when it was built in the twenties, but it underwent a controversial "façade-ectomy" after a battle between developers and preservationists – and it features sculptural panels by a neglected female artist.

Chicago is renowned for its architecture, but a small-scale, domestic building unique to this city often goes unrecognized: the Chicago bungalow. The history of this style of house encompasses the story of Chicago's immigrants and infamous discrimination.

During Open House Chicago, which is October 13 and 14, you can see things you've never seen before as more than 250 sites across Chicagoland open to the public for free. So many choices are overwhelming, so we've chosen a few highlights.