Monthly Archives: November 2010

Mixed Use Midcentury

New Urbanists like to make a fuss over the notion of a mixed-use building, touting it as a revival of a long-lost art. While the basic, common-sense notion of people living and working in close proximity certainly did fall out … Continue reading

Posted in Commercial strips, Midcentury Modernism | 5 Comments

Preservation, Chicago style

When you land at O’Hare airport and take the intra-airport rail system between terminals, colorful ad strips on the train urge you to come explore the city’s architecture. It’s a pretty rare city that explicitly promotes its architecture as one … Continue reading

Posted in Michael Reese Hospital | 1 Comment

Neons I have known

It’s no great secret that historic neon signs are steadily disappearing from the Chicago landscape. The difficulty and cost of maintenance, along with the closing of older independent businesses, are the primary causes. Even when the signs are valued by … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 8 Comments

4 Plus 1 again

I wanted to talk a bit more seriously about the Four Plus One apartment buildings, beyond the level of just fawning over their entry canopies. Four Plus Ones got a bad rap even in their own day, and they aren’t … Continue reading

Posted in 4plus1, Midcentury Modernism | 8 Comments