News from Around the Art World: January 8, 2018
Letter from Chicago: keeping up with construction in the Windy City
By Giovanna Dunmall, Wallpaper
Chicago boasts a stellar place on the international architectural map because of its pre-eminent role in the development of modernism and the invention of the office skyscraper, something that has transformed the skylines of cities worldwide. After the most recent 2009 recession the Windy City has seen a renewed construction boom and a flurry of high rises are in the works (currently over 50 are in the pipeline).
Though many of these projects are functional as opposed to outstanding, Chicago still punches head and shoulders above many of the rest in terms of architectural literacy, innovation and sheer feats of structural and design ingenuity. Notable examples include the jaw-droppingly tapered base of 150 N Riverside and the graceful ellipses cut into the base and top of 640 North Wells, both mega commercial projects that enjoy prominent riverfront locations.
CPS, community members unveil design of $85 million Englewood school
By Rachel Hinton, Chicago Sun Times
Design plans for a new $85 million high school for the South Side’s Englewood neighborhood were unveiled on Friday.
On display at the event at Kennedy-King College were renderings of the proposed Englewood High School, designed by Englewood native Renauld Mitchell, a lead architect on the project. The school will have a brand-new outdoor sports facility, modern multipurpose educational spaces and a school-based medical center for use by both students as well as other community residents.
The site at 6835 S. Normal will be developed by UJAMAA/Power II Joint Venture — a minority-led effort at 77th Street and Stoney Island Avenue — which plans to hire members from the community for the construction of the school.
Column: The illusion of architectural permanence
By Blair Kamin, Chicago Tribune
Like everybody else who works for the Chicago Tribune, I’ve known for more than a year that our newspaper would be leaving our namesake tower, where journalists have worked since 1925. But it wasn’t until I walked into the flamboyant North Michigan Avenue landmark on Tuesday, the first workday of the year, that it really hit me: The clock is ticking on our time in this splendid skyscraper.
Picture This: Did The Art Institute of Chicago Ever Rent Out Paintings?
By Monica Eng, WBEZ 91.5 Chicago
Robert K. Elder would love to decorate the walls in his living room with original paintings from the Art Institute of Chicago.
So he was floored when his friend Cyndy told him that back in the ’50s, her mom did just that. She said her mother claimed two particular pieces in their Naperville home were “on loan from the Art Institute.”
Whaaaaat?