Lost Dart, Losing Goldberg
This is the final post in a five-part series on Edward Dart by guest author Matt Seymour. In a 1960 article written for the Chicago American by Ernest Tucker entitled “New Buildings Too Much Alike,” the state of Chicago’s architectural scene was discussed— Tucker coined a phrase where he referred to modern architecture as the … Continue reading
A Treasure Trove of 20th-Century Art: Resurrection Cemetery Mausoleum
by guest author Nate Lielasus Resurrection Cemetery in Justice, Illinois, is famous for Resurrection Mary, the hitch-hiking ghost of a young woman said to have caught a few rides home from a former dance hall down Archer Road. She supposedly still lingers at the cemetery’s main gate. But don’t go to Resurrection just to catch … Continue reading
Saint Procopius: The Modern Abbey Church and Monastery
This is the fifth post in a series on architect Edward Dart by guest author Matt Seymour. Although not the most famous of Dart’s designs (Water Tower Place on Michigan Avenue is Dart’s most recognizable building), St. Procopius Abbey Church and Monastery is one of his most distinctive designs. Completed in 1967, St. Procopius is … Continue reading
Populuxe on the Park: St. Joseph Hospital
This is the second in a series of posts on Chicago’s Modern hospitals by guest author Nate Lielasus If you have ever driven South down North Lake Shore Drive, you have probably noticed the turquoise walls of St. Joseph Hospital, located at the corner of Lake Shore Drive and Diversey Parkway. The end walls of … Continue reading
Metropolitan Correctional Center
by guest author Matt Crawford Mies and his followers believed that the steel-and-glass box was not just for corporate office towers, but that the form held the promise of a “universal space” that could house any function. The adaptability of the steel and glass box is demonstrated by the Heating Plant (1961) at O’Hare Airport … Continue reading
Let There Be Light: The Chicago Loop Synagogue
by guest author John Cramer With its looming business towers and busy sidewalks and the noise of impatient car traffic, it’s surprising that the loudly beating heart of Chicago’s Loop has its share of quiet contemplative religious spaces. There’s the Gothic-spired Chicago Temple Building at Clark and Washington (Holabird & Roche, 1924) which houses a … Continue reading
Seventeenth Church Christ Scientist
by guest author Matt Crawford “Faced with the choice, I would rather be right than contemporary.” – Harry Weese In 1966 the congregation of the Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist formed a committee to select an architect to design their new church. After reviewing proposals from over thirty architects, including Frank Lloyd Wright, finalists were … Continue reading
Concrete Waves: Chicago’s Twin West Side Natatoria
by guest author Nate Lielasus The roof of the Ida Crown Natatorium in Eckhart Park is a wave of concrete about to crash onto the shore of Chicago Avenue. Slightly older than its twin in Harrison Park, at 18th and Wood Streets, the Eckhart Park Natatorium was constructed in 1961. The two Natatoria were built … Continue reading
chicago modern: more than mies 