Tag Archives: Chicago Architecture
My World-Class Vino con Vista Chicago Turns 175 Years Old!
Happy Birthday Chicago! Uncork your favorite bottle of wine or champagne and toast to Chicago’s 175th birthday on March 4, 2012 as you listen to Frank Sinatra sing “My Kind of Town“; originally part of the musical score for Robin and the 7 Hoods, a 1964 musical film starring several members of the Rat Pack.
Chicago is famous for many things including gangsters like Al Capone and the city definitely has some offers that you can’t refuse:
Chicago is also famous for sports teams: Bears, Bulls, Hawks, Cubs and Sox. We have had pretty good record for start-ups: Kraft, Motorola, Baxter, Sara Lee and don’t forget Groupon just to name a few.
Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Image via Wikipedia
Image via Wikipedia
We have plenty of famous politicians including: 2 Mayor Daleys and President Barack Obama.
Image via Wikipedia
Image via Wikipedia
Image via Wikipedia
Chicago is home to a plethora of superlatives: our higher learning institutons are world-class with some of the best business schools in the world like University of Chicago and Northwestern. The city is brimming with world-class chefs and we have some of the best restaurants in the world like Charlie Trotters and Alinea.
But one or our most endearing and enduring blessings is our world-class architecture! This weekend to celebrate Chicago’s 175th birthday, some of her architectural shining stars will turn blue including: the WIllis Tower, the Trump Tower, the Merchandise Mart and the Prudential Building.
Image via Wikipedia
Chicago‘s Columbian Exposition in the 1890′s spawned a flourishing legacy of global architectural pre-eminence and outstanding architecture in Chicago. Daniel Burnham’s passion for Beaux Arts priniciples of design generated a flurry of world-class structures. Chicago architects and structural engineers are still staking claims to global architectural marvels.
Chicago World's Columbian Exposition, 1893 (Photo credit: Smithsonian Institution)
Bill Baker is a structural engineer who works at Skidmore, Owings and Merrill‘s (SMO) Chicago office in the landmark, 17 story Sante Fe Building. He can be credited with more supertall buildings of over 1000 feet than any other structural engineer in the world including the Trump Tower. The “Burl Khalifa” in Dubai is world’s tallest building at 160 stories. It is almost twice as tall as the building formerly known as the Sears Tower in Chicago. Bill was instrumental in designing The Burl with architect Adrian Smith at SMO.
Two of my favorite vintage buildings include the majestic Wrigley Building and the Gothic Revival Tribune building located at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and the Chicago River.
Image via Wikipedia
The distinctive clock tower of the Wrigley Building reminds me of Big Ben in London. There are 250,000 glistening glazed terra cotta tiles covering the classical structure that was completed in 1924 by Graham, Anderson, Probst and White. Quite appropriate for the great “White City.” The beautiful neo-gothic Tribune Tower is across the street from the Wrigley building. The 26 foot Sculpture of Marilyn Monroe is next to the Tribune Tower.
I love the juxtaposition of the classic architecture with the modern architecture of buildings like the sleek Trump Tower. There’s a great view of the Wrigley Clock from Trump’s 16th floor restaurant aptly named “Sixteen.” They have an outstanding Sunday Brunch so why not celebrate Chicago’s Birthday party there!
Chicago is a mecca for world-class museums, restaurants and hotels with plenty of “Vino con Vista” opportunities. The Michelin Guide for Chicago was released in November 2011.
Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Travel Guides and Vino Con Vista Travel Guides can be purchased at these sites
Happy Birthday Chicago from www.vino-con-vista.com
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Filed under Chicago, Chicago Architecture, Chicago Hotels, Chicago Restaurants
Medinah Temple’s Moorish Revival Architecture in Chicago
Image by lumierefl via Flickr
Chicago is endowed with an incredible lakefront, beautiful sandy beaches and a magnificent skyline filled with legendary architecture.
Oak Street Beach on Lake Michigan in Chicago
Brilliant architects like Louis Sullivan created an atmosphere for world-class design. Sullivan’s influential designs inspired the Chicago School of architects like Frank Lloyd Wright who have come to be known as the Prairie School.
Although Chicago is loaded with magnificent architecture, one building that stands out for it’s innovative design is the Medinah Temple at 600 N. Wabash.
The Medinah Temple in Chicago
The building is located in the upscale North Bridge neighborhood of Chicago on the Near North Side where Wabash intersects Ohio Street.
This area is a tourist mecca; loaded with plenty of interesting hotels and stores. There are outstanding restaurants like Joe’s, Benny’s and Flemings in the neighborhood.
The area also is home to some landmark Chicago deep-dish pizza establishments like Pizzeria Uno and Due in this River North neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The first Uno’s was established in 1943 by former University of Texas football star Ike Sewell and his friend Rick Ricardo. The original recipe was created by chef Rudy Malnati, the father of Lou Malnati‘s pizzeria, another one of my favorites. Pizzeria Uno claims to have created the original Chicago deep-dish pizza.
But one of my all-time favorite buildings in this area is the Medinah Temple. The Medinah Temple was the venue for the annual Shrine Circus that was affiliated with theAncient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Shriners). The organization is best-known for administering the Shriners Hospitals for Children. The members wear red fezzes (hats) and the fellowship is based upon the “Masonic principles of brotherly love, relief, and truth”.
Shriner's Fezz Hat
I grew up near the Shriners Hospital in Chicago. When I was a young girl, I remember going to their circus in the Medinah Temple and being awestruck by the massive auditorium and the gorgeous Austin Organ Company pipe organ.
In 2000, the building’s exterior was lovingly restored and the inside of the ornate auditorium was converted into a Bloomingdale’s Home and Furniture Store. The store is loaded with artistic displays that highlight the architectural beauty of the building.
Bloomingdale's colorful display of art-glass in Chicago
The building designated as a Chicago Landmark on June 27, 2001.
I love the intricate detail on the exterior of the building.
Facade of the Medinah Temple in Chicago
The colorful Islamic Moorish Revival architecture of the Medinah Temple was built in 1912. It was built by the Shriners architects Huehl and Schmidt. The colorful domes, ornate ceiling and arched stained-glass windows resemble the Alcazar in Segovia Spain.
Ceiling of the Medinah Temple in Chicago
Moorish Revival Architecture in Chicago
Ceiling medallian in the Medinah Temple in Chicago
Stained glass windows in the Medinah Temple in Chicago
Originally, the building served as an ornate auditorium with U-shape seating for about 4,200 people on three levels. The building is also famous for the acoustics of the auditorium. The fine acoustics of the Medinah Temple’s auditorium made it a favorite site for recording. Many of the Chicago Symphony‘s most famous recordings conducted by Sir Georg Solti were created in this building.
Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Travel Guides @ www.vino-con-vista.com. Follow us on Twitter for Blog Updates.
Filed under Alcazar in Segovia Spain, Attractions in Chicago, Authentic Italian Restaurants in Chicago, Chicago, Chicago Architecture, Chicago Art, Chicago art fairs, Chicago Food Trucks, Chicago Hotels, chicago jazz festival, Chicago Jazz Festival 2011, Chicago Restaurants, Chicago Stained Glass Museum, Chicago Street Fairs, Chicago Street Festivals, Foodies
