So occasionally, I see a building that I knew about, had studied in class, was completely aware of it’s raison d’etre, yet when I visit, I’m completely blown away. For me, this was true for Rem’s IIT student center. So so so cool. Everything was textured, layered, colored, refined, smooth, and industrial all at the same time. Lots of pictures on flickr. We only spent a few minutes wandering, but I could have stayed all day. It was complex, without being over bearing; layered without being messy; and incorporated graphics in a way that didn’t distract from the rest of the structure. Its nice to see something every once in a while that reminds you that good design can support the functionality of a space without retracting into its own little vortex.
chicago
August 17, 2007
August 15, 2007
In our first full day in Chicago, two things really struck me, actually maybe three. One major one was the incredible level of density of this city. Everything is vertical, residential single family, gas stations, restaurants, even churches look like skyscrapers. The streets are kept clean and clutter free through the highly effective use of side alleys. All the power lines, dump trucks, trash cans, and service delivery vehicles are kept off the tree-lined, pedestrian streets and into their appropriate alley way. It’s really a great system, established within the first platting of Chicago. I’m just glad they kept it up to date all these years. And I love the way they add an industrial sensibility and create such a raw way to access the innerworkings of this city.
Two was the “el”, short for elevated train. It wiggles through the city like floating sphagetti, only much much louder. The tracks are all built out of rotting wood and rusting steel and when a train passes overhead, its so loud I sometimes hold my ears. The earth seriously shakes. According to our tour guide, most of the tracks were completed by 1897. That makes them around 110 years old. That is seriously old. Some lines are under renovation, like the brown line, which is the one that Nick uses to get downtown, so we have to jump trains a few times to get where we’re headed.
The third, and my favorite thing that struck me about Chicago was the bean. Its soo gorgeous and larger than expected. Photos really don’t capture the incredible 3D effect of its curvacious, highly reflective surface upon the verticality of the city. It’s actually called ‘Cloud gate’, but I’m not sure anyone actually uses that name. I’m sure we’ll go back tomorrow.
August 15, 2007
While wandering around last night, looking for the sushi restaurant we had selected, we began to smell the heavy odor of chocolate. Chocolate brownies to be exact. As we exited the hotel lobby with the sushi bar we had mistaken for the restaurant, it got so strong that I ahd to ask the door man where the scent was coming from, “the Bloomer Chocolate factory of course”. It definately adds to the distinctive experience of downtown Chicago. The Bloomer factory, which has supplied chocolate wholesale for decades, operates near the Loop and Magnificent Mile. The odor has been so heavy, in fact, that a neighbor complained and the EPA fined the company in 2004.
Laura and I in front of Nick’s apartment, on our way to dinner.
