Chicago Architecture and Design [Hardcover]

Jay Pridmore (Author), George A. Larson (Author), Hedrich Blessing (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2005

Chicago is world famous for an architectural tradition that has influenced building around the globe. It is the birthplace of the skyscraper and the cradle of modern architecture; it gave rise to the urban office building as we know it, and to the flowing, open floor plans of today's homes. This book chronicles Chicago's architectural tradition from the nineteenth through the early twenty-first century, examining its evolution in the context of broader historical, social, technological, and artistic currents. It explores Chicago architects' quest for a quintessentially American style, and the century of innovation that pushed buildings ever higher, opened them to space and light, and increasingly dissolved the boundaries between indoors and out. It looks at world-renowned structures from the inside out, giving special attention to the interiors that were and remain so important to Chicago's architects. It traces the course of modern architecture from the structural simplicity of Chicago School commercial building, to the low-slung Prairie School house, the streamlined Art Deco skyscraper, and the minimalist Miesian tower of glass and steel, all the way through to the strikingly original, diverse designs of the present day's so-called second modern movement. This eminently readable text vividly discusses both the life and work of such towering figures as Daniel Burnham, John Wellborn Root, Louis H. Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Mies van der Rohe - as well as that of the many lesser-known architects who have made outstanding contributions.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This lavish, strikingly designed survey focuses on more than 70 Chicago buildings, with an emphasis on their interiors. The book traces the advent of Chicago modernism in the aftermath of the Great Fire of 1871, which gave a clean slate to architects Louis Sullivan and John Wellborn Root. Sullivan's disciple, Frank Lloyd Wright, dissolved the boundaries between interior and exterior space in suburban houses that transformed the idea of the single-family home. Mies van der Rohe, George and William Keck and Cesar Pelli, each in different ways, preserved the Chicago School's values of economy, natural light and simplicity. The 243 plates (108 in color) range from H. H. Richardson's 1887 Glessner House, modeled on a medieval English abbey, to Helmut Jahn's gleaming Xerox Centre, and spotlight such landmarks as the Marshall Field store, Marina City, the Railway Exchange, the Auditorium opera house and Eliel and Eero Saarinen's lyrical Crow Island School in the suburb of Winnetka. Larson is a Chicago architect, Pridmore a contributor to the Chicago Tribune.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

This book is not to be confused with the almost identically titled Chicago Architecture and Design, 1923-1993 ( LJ 10/1/93), the sequel to Chicago Architecture 1872-1922: Birth of a Metropolis (Prestel, 1987). These two volumes catalog exhibitions at the Chicago Art Institute celebrating the centennial of the Chicago School of Architecture and the great World's Columbian Exhibition held in The Windy City in 1893 along with more recent architecture extending up to the present. What distinguishes the book at hand from its more scholarly cousins is its emphasis on architectural interiors. It is well written and beautifully illustrated by photographs from the famous collection of Hedrich-Blessing. Highly recommended for architecture libraries and larger art collections.
- Peter Kaufman, Boston Architectural Ctr.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 296 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams; Revised & Expanded edition (June 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810958929
• ISBN-13: 978-0810958920
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #212,973 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A treat to read from cover to cover, May 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Chicago Architecture and Design (Hardcover)

Lasron and Pridmore have put together a wonderful slice of Chicago history through its architecture. An excellent introduction to architecture in Chicago, I would reccomend it to anyone with even a casual interest in the subject. The focus of the book has great historical depth.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine Book on Chicago Architecture, May 27, 2002

By 

Michael Nelson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chicago Architecture and Design (Hardcover)

This book described many of the significant architects in Chicago history. I found it to be informative and very readable. It is the best book I have found which summarizes Chicago Architecture. The color photograghs are excellent

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars elegant and informative, October 24, 2005

By 

reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chicago Architecture and Design (Hardcover)

This book provides an excellent introduction to Chicago's numerous schools of architecture over the years. It also provides a photographic tour of the city's important buildings, from the late 1800s to the present day. The photography is great! Highly recommended for fans of Chicago or architecture buffs in general.