Caroline Banks' Blog

Monday, July 20, 2015

Status Update: Wolf Point West Topps Out

Wolf Point’s left canine is growing with all the frenzy of Soupy Sales’ imaginary radio dog, White Fang… if you’re old enough to remember that sort of thing.

If you’re not, let’s just say that Wolf Point West is a visual force to be reckoned with, imposing its presence on the Chicago riverfront before the seeds of its two companion towers have even been planted. More importantly, it has now topped out, reaching its final height of 493 feet.

Wolf Point West now rises 48 stories into the sky, and this photograph sent in by one of our regular Fulton River spies shows the exterior skin is almost caught up to that height, too.

This article is the result of photos sent in by someone just like you. If you see something interesting in your neighborhood, e-mail your phone pics to chicagoarchitectureinfo@gmail.com. Check out our Tip Line for other ways to tip us off, like by text message.

Location: 350 North Orleans Street, River North

#map_1 {clear: both; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin-top:0px; margin-right:0px;margin-left:0px; margin-bottom:0px; left: 0px; border-radius:0px;
box-shadow: none;}#map_1 img{clear: both; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; margin-top:0px; margin-right:0px;margin-left:0px; margin-bottom:0px; border-radius:0px;
box-shadow: none;}

/* <![CDATA[ */(function($) { OpenLayers.ImgPath = "http://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/wp-content/plugins/osm/themes/dark/"; map_1 = new OpenLayers.Map ("map_1", { controls:[ new OpenLayers.Control.Navigation(), new OpenLayers.Control.PanZoom(), new OpenLayers.Control.Attribution() ], maxExtent: new OpenLayers.Bounds(-20037508.34,-20037508.34,20037508.34,20037508.34), maxResolution: 156543.0399, numZoomLevels: 19, units: "m", projection: new OpenLayers.Projection("EPSG:900913"), displayProjection: new OpenLayers.Projection("EPSG:4326") } );var layerMapnik = new OpenLayers.Layer.OSM.Mapnik("Mapnik");var layerCycle = new OpenLayers.Layer.OSM.CycleMap("CycleMap");map_1.addLayers([layerMapnik, layerCycle]);map_1.addControl(new OpenLayers.Control.LayerSwitcher());map_1.addControl(new OpenLayers.Control.ScaleLine({geodesic: true}));var lonLat = new OpenLayers.LonLat(-87.637713,41.887539).transform(map_1.displayProjection, map_1.projection);map_1.setCenter (lonLat,17);var MarkerLayer = new OpenLayers.Layer.Markers("Marker");map_1.addLayer(MarkerLayer);
function osm_map_1MarkerPopUpClick(a_evt){
if (this.popup == null){
this.popup = this.createPopup(this.closeBox);
map_1.addPopup(this.popup);
this.popup.show();
}
else{
for (var i = 0; i < map_1.popups.length; i++){
map_1.popups[i].hide();
}
this.popup.toggle();
}
OpenLayers.Event.stop(a_evt);
}
var map_1IconArray = [];var Mdata = {};
Mdata.icon = new OpenLayers.Icon("http://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/wp-content/plugins/osm/icons/mic_blue_information_01.png",
new OpenLayers.Size(32,41),
new OpenLayers.Pixel(-16, -41));map_1IconArray.push(Mdata);var ll = new OpenLayers.LonLat(-87.637713,41.887539).transform(map_1.displayProjection, map_1.projection);var feature = new OpenLayers.Feature(MarkerLayer, ll, map_1IconArray[0]);feature.closeBox = true;feature.popupClass = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Popup.FramedCloud, {"autoSize": true, minSize: new OpenLayers.Size(150,150),"keepInMap": true } );feature.data.popupContentHTML = "";feature.data.overflow = "hidden";var marker = new OpenLayers.Marker(ll,map_1IconArray[0].icon.clone());marker.feature = feature;MarkerLayer.addMarker(marker);var lonLat = new OpenLayers.LonLat(-87.637713,41.887539).transform(map_1.displayProjection, map_1.projection);map_1.setCenter (lonLat,17);})(jQuery)/* ]]> */

Did you enjoy this article? Click to give the author a few cents.

from The Chicago Architecture Blog http://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/2015/07/20/status-update-wolf-point-west-topps-out/

List of 2015 Open House Chicago Locations Now Available

Our friends-of-the-blog over at the Chicago Architecture Foundation have released this year’s list of locations for Open House Chicago. If you’re not familiar with Open House Chicago, it’s one weekend in October set aside to let architecture nerds run around the city like a bunch of sugar-soaked kids who broke into the Halloween candy, scattering asthma inhalers and Ventra cards in their wake.

It’s also an opportunity for regular people to visit nooks and crannies of the city they normally would never see. Sky-high office suites, deep underground vaults, factory floors, and some spaces that remain closed off all year except for during this event. And the amazing thing is in a time when taking the family to the art museum costs more than an iPhone, and taking them to a Cubs game costs more than a used car, it’s one of the few things in Chicago that remains free.

There are 200 locations on offer this year, though the list is every-so-slightly shorter for people who aren’t C.A.F. members. Be warned that certain locations are mobbed immediately. Last year several venues couldn’t handle the crowds (Allerton Hotel, Groupon, et.al.). Even places reserved for CAF members can end up with 400 people in line at the ass crack of dawn (anything at 35 East Wacker). And since this is a volunteer event (that’s why it’s free), sometimes places don’t always open on time (Civic Opera House). The best strategy is to hit a few must-sees downtown first thing in the morning, then head out into the neighborhoods for the rest of the day.

Below are ten recommendations for places to go. These aren’t the most obvious places, or the most popular. But they’ll give you the most bang for your imaginary buck (remember, it’s free), and take you amazing places.

Columbia Yacht Club — 111 North Lake Shore Drive
Sky-Line Club — 307 North Michigan Avenue
The Plant — 1400 West 46th Street
Meyer’s Ace Hardware/Sunset Cafe – 315 East 35th Street
Poetry Foundation — 61 West Superior Street
Brewster Apartments – 2800 North Pine Grove Avenue
Thalia Hall — 1807 South Allport Street
Glessner House Museum — 1800 South Prairie Avenue
Park Castle Condominiums — 2416 West Greenleaf Avenue
Park Gables Apartments — 2428 West Estes Avenue

Did you enjoy this article? Click to give the author a few cents.

from The Chicago Architecture Blog http://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/2015/07/20/list-of-2015-open-house-chicago-locations-now-available/

The 606 Getting Ready for Hippies, Sunbeams, and Scientists

Drawing of the 606 western trailhead and observatiory

Looking for a place to celebrate the next celestial event, but can’t afford to splash out $900 for an economy-class ticket to London, $80 for the train to Salisbury, and $30 for the cab ride to Stonehenge? Grab your crystals and your patchuli-soaked poncho and head to the west end of The 606

That’s where, starting today, crews will be adding the celestial markers to the trail head feature known as The Observatory. From the 606 newsletter:

Inlays with the words “solstice” and “equinox” [will be embedded] in the far western end of the Trail near the Observatory. The mainline path around the observatory to the Ridgeway cul-du-sac will be open 95 percent of the estimated two-week time period for the work to be completed. There may be short-term closures of the path for placement of the stone pavers and similar work, but we will try to minimize impact to the main path. The circular path leading up to the top of the observatory, however, will be closed during this work. Crews estimate the process will take two weeks, but it may take a bit shorter or longer depending upon the weather.

While the 606 is a functioning, and very popular neighborhood thoroughfare, it is not quite complete. A lot of the plants were planted temporarily to keep the soil from washing away, and crews must now replace those temporary plants with permanent, more hardy, species.

Location: North Ridgeway Avenue at Bloomingdale Trail, Logan Square

/* <![CDATA[ */(function($) { OpenLayers.ImgPath = "http://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/wp-content/plugins/osm/themes/dark/"; map_1 = new OpenLayers.Map ("map_1", { controls:[ new OpenLayers.Control.Navigation(), new OpenLayers.Control.PanZoom(), new OpenLayers.Control.Attribution() ], maxExtent: new OpenLayers.Bounds(-20037508.34,-20037508.34,20037508.34,20037508.34), maxResolution: 156543.0399, numZoomLevels: 19, units: "m", projection: new OpenLayers.Projection("EPSG:900913"), displayProjection: new OpenLayers.Projection("EPSG:4326") } );var layerMapnik = new OpenLayers.Layer.OSM.Mapnik("Mapnik");var layerCycle = new OpenLayers.Layer.OSM.CycleMap("CycleMap");map_1.addLayers([layerMapnik, layerCycle]);map_1.addControl(new OpenLayers.Control.LayerSwitcher());map_1.addControl(new OpenLayers.Control.ScaleLine({geodesic: true}));var lonLat = new OpenLayers.LonLat(-87.719831,41.913706).transform(map_1.displayProjection, map_1.projection);map_1.setCenter (lonLat,17);var MarkerLayer = new OpenLayers.Layer.Markers("Marker");map_1.addLayer(MarkerLayer);
function osm_map_1MarkerPopUpClick(a_evt){
if (this.popup == null){
this.popup = this.createPopup(this.closeBox);
map_1.addPopup(this.popup);
this.popup.show();
}
else{
for (var i = 0; i < map_1.popups.length; i++){
map_1.popups[i].hide();
}
this.popup.toggle();
}
OpenLayers.Event.stop(a_evt);
}
var map_1IconArray = [];var Mdata = {};
Mdata.icon = new OpenLayers.Icon("http://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/wp-content/plugins/osm/icons/mic_blue_information_01.png",
new OpenLayers.Size(32,41),
new OpenLayers.Pixel(-16, -41));map_1IconArray.push(Mdata);var ll = new OpenLayers.LonLat(-87.719831,41.913706).transform(map_1.displayProjection, map_1.projection);var feature = new OpenLayers.Feature(MarkerLayer, ll, map_1IconArray[0]);feature.closeBox = true;feature.popupClass = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Popup.FramedCloud, {"autoSize": true, minSize: new OpenLayers.Size(150,150),"keepInMap": true } );feature.data.popupContentHTML = "";feature.data.overflow = "hidden";var marker = new OpenLayers.Marker(ll,map_1IconArray[0].icon.clone());marker.feature = feature;MarkerLayer.addMarker(marker);var lonLat = new OpenLayers.LonLat(-87.719831,41.913706).transform(map_1.displayProjection, map_1.projection);map_1.setCenter (lonLat,17);})(jQuery)/* ]]> */

Did you enjoy this article? Click to give the author a few cents.

from The Chicago Architecture Blog http://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/2015/07/20/the-606-getting-ready-for-hippies-sunbeams-and-scientists/

Another Look at 111 South Green Street

There is continuing tension in West Town between people who already live there and developers who want to help more people live there. For the most part the developments that have sparked such anger and vitriol in the community have been low- and mid-rise buildings, and therefore stay mostly under our radar.

But for those of you who weren’t able to get to the most recent community meeting, we present a selection of slides about 111 South Green Street for your perusal. If you’d like to see the whole thing as an unedited PDF, it’s being distributed by the Neighbors of the West Loop via this link.

Location: 211 South Peoria Street, West Town

/* <![CDATA[ */(function($) { OpenLayers.ImgPath = "http://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/wp-content/plugins/osm/themes/dark/"; map_1 = new OpenLayers.Map ("map_1", { controls:[ new OpenLayers.Control.Navigation(), new OpenLayers.Control.PanZoom(), new OpenLayers.Control.Attribution() ], maxExtent: new OpenLayers.Bounds(-20037508.34,-20037508.34,20037508.34,20037508.34), maxResolution: 156543.0399, numZoomLevels: 19, units: "m", projection: new OpenLayers.Projection("EPSG:900913"), displayProjection: new OpenLayers.Projection("EPSG:4326") } );var layerMapnik = new OpenLayers.Layer.OSM.Mapnik("Mapnik");var layerCycle = new OpenLayers.Layer.OSM.CycleMap("CycleMap");map_1.addLayers([layerMapnik, layerCycle]);map_1.addControl(new OpenLayers.Control.LayerSwitcher());map_1.addControl(new OpenLayers.Control.ScaleLine({geodesic: true}));var lonLat = new OpenLayers.LonLat(-87.649219,41.879944).transform(map_1.displayProjection, map_1.projection);map_1.setCenter (lonLat,17);var MarkerLayer = new OpenLayers.Layer.Markers("Marker");map_1.addLayer(MarkerLayer);
function osm_map_1MarkerPopUpClick(a_evt){
if (this.popup == null){
this.popup = this.createPopup(this.closeBox);
map_1.addPopup(this.popup);
this.popup.show();
}
else{
for (var i = 0; i < map_1.popups.length; i++){
map_1.popups[i].hide();
}
this.popup.toggle();
}
OpenLayers.Event.stop(a_evt);
}
var map_1IconArray = [];var Mdata = {};
Mdata.icon = new OpenLayers.Icon("http://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/wp-content/plugins/osm/icons/mic_blue_information_01.png",
new OpenLayers.Size(32,41),
new OpenLayers.Pixel(-16, -41));map_1IconArray.push(Mdata);var ll = new OpenLayers.LonLat(-87.649219,41.879944).transform(map_1.displayProjection, map_1.projection);var feature = new OpenLayers.Feature(MarkerLayer, ll, map_1IconArray[0]);feature.closeBox = true;feature.popupClass = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Popup.FramedCloud, {"autoSize": true, minSize: new OpenLayers.Size(150,150),"keepInMap": true } );feature.data.popupContentHTML = "";feature.data.overflow = "hidden";var marker = new OpenLayers.Marker(ll,map_1IconArray[0].icon.clone());marker.feature = feature;MarkerLayer.addMarker(marker);var lonLat = new OpenLayers.LonLat(-87.649219,41.879944).transform(map_1.displayProjection, map_1.projection);map_1.setCenter (lonLat,17);})(jQuery)/* ]]> */

Did you enjoy this article? Click to give the author a few cents.

from The Chicago Architecture Blog http://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/2015/07/20/another-look-at-111-south-green-street/

Friday, July 17, 2015

Steelers Visit Walter Payton College Prep

Just over a year ago, we were waiting patiently for the a decision on funding for a new annex to be built at Walter Payton College Prep High School (1034 North Wells Street). As anyone who’s ridden the Brown Line between the Chicago Avenue and Sedgwick stops can attest, the funding was approved, and construction has begun. What’s visible now is mostly just a skeleton, but it’s a steel skeleton. And those are the best kind.

Walter Payton High School

The school, named after Chicago’s beloved #34 (sorry, Kerry. Nothing personal, but this is Sweetness we’re talking about) has been on the U.S. News and World Report’s Top 100 High Schools list every year since 2007, being named the Number 2 school in the state of Illinois back in June. When completed, the $17-million annex, by KOO Architecture of Chicago, will create more classrooms and amenities for the school, as outlined in this statement from the KOO website:

KOO is currently working on a 50,000-square-foot addition to Walter Payton that will allow the school to accommodate 50% more students. The design adds a competition gymnasium, a lunchroom, a black box theater, a dance studio, additional classrooms, and a special education facility.

The annex is designed to take its cues from the original structure without striving to replicate it. It utilizes a complementary building palette and a rotated gymnasium mass with angles referencing the existing structure. The project is scheduled to be completed in late 2015.

Location: 1034 North Wells Street, Near North Side

/* <![CDATA[ */(function($) { OpenLayers.ImgPath = "http://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/wp-content/plugins/osm/themes/dark/"; map_1 = new OpenLayers.Map ("map_1", { controls:[ new OpenLayers.Control.Navigation(), new OpenLayers.Control.PanZoom(), new OpenLayers.Control.Attribution() ], maxExtent: new OpenLayers.Bounds(-20037508.34,-20037508.34,20037508.34,20037508.34), maxResolution: 156543.0399, numZoomLevels: 19, units: "m", projection: new OpenLayers.Projection("EPSG:900913"), displayProjection: new OpenLayers.Projection("EPSG:4326") } );var layerMapnik = new OpenLayers.Layer.OSM.Mapnik("Mapnik");var layerCycle = new OpenLayers.Layer.OSM.CycleMap("CycleMap");map_1.addLayers([layerMapnik, layerCycle]);map_1.addControl(new OpenLayers.Control.LayerSwitcher());map_1.addControl(new OpenLayers.Control.ScaleLine({geodesic: true}));var lonLat = new OpenLayers.LonLat(-87.636075,41.901837).transform(map_1.displayProjection, map_1.projection);map_1.setCenter (lonLat,17);var MarkerLayer = new OpenLayers.Layer.Markers("Marker");map_1.addLayer(MarkerLayer);
function osm_map_1MarkerPopUpClick(a_evt){
if (this.popup == null){
this.popup = this.createPopup(this.closeBox);
map_1.addPopup(this.popup);
this.popup.show();
}
else{
for (var i = 0; i < map_1.popups.length; i++){
map_1.popups[i].hide();
}
this.popup.toggle();
}
OpenLayers.Event.stop(a_evt);
}
var map_1IconArray = [];var Mdata = {};
Mdata.icon = new OpenLayers.Icon("http://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/wp-content/plugins/osm/icons/mic_blue_information_01.png",
new OpenLayers.Size(32,41),
new OpenLayers.Pixel(-16, -41));map_1IconArray.push(Mdata);var ll = new OpenLayers.LonLat(-87.636075,41.901837).transform(map_1.displayProjection, map_1.projection);var feature = new OpenLayers.Feature(MarkerLayer, ll, map_1IconArray[0]);feature.closeBox = true;feature.popupClass = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Popup.FramedCloud, {"autoSize": true, minSize: new OpenLayers.Size(150,150),"keepInMap": true } );feature.data.popupContentHTML = "";feature.data.overflow = "hidden";var marker = new OpenLayers.Marker(ll,map_1IconArray[0].icon.clone());marker.feature = feature;MarkerLayer.addMarker(marker);var lonLat = new OpenLayers.LonLat(-87.636075,41.901837).transform(map_1.displayProjection, map_1.projection);map_1.setCenter (lonLat,17);})(jQuery)/* ]]> */

Did you enjoy this article? Click to give the author a few cents.

from The Chicago Architecture Blog http://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/2015/07/17/steelers-visit-walter-payton-college-prep/

Optimistic About Optima II

Optima II under construction

After a slow start, one thing is starting to lead to another at the site of what will eventually be the Optima II tower, behind Tribune Tower at 240 East Illinois Street in Streeterville.

It’s been almost a month since the city issued permits for a temporary tower crane to get the 54-story residential building started. And as The Chicago Architecture Blog’s Daniel Schell discovered, the little red stub is finally in place and ready to accept its burden.

“But wait…” a tiny voice in the back of your head says, “Wasn’t this supposed to be 55 stories?” The latest city paperwork, which is the foundation permit issued in September lists it as 54 stories with 381 residences. But it’s not unusual for a floor to be added or subtracted late in the game.

Location: 240 East Illinois Street, Streeterville

#map_1 {clear: both; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin-top:0px; margin-right:0px;margin-left:0px; margin-bottom:0px; left: 0px; border-radius:0px;
box-shadow: none;}#map_1 img{clear: both; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; margin-top:0px; margin-right:0px;margin-left:0px; margin-bottom:0px; border-radius:0px;
box-shadow: none;}

/* <![CDATA[ */(function($) { OpenLayers.ImgPath = "http://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/wp-content/plugins/osm/themes/dark/"; map_1 = new OpenLayers.Map ("map_1", { controls:[ new OpenLayers.Control.Navigation(), new OpenLayers.Control.PanZoom(), new OpenLayers.Control.Attribution() ], maxExtent: new OpenLayers.Bounds(-20037508.34,-20037508.34,20037508.34,20037508.34), maxResolution: 156543.0399, numZoomLevels: 19, units: "m", projection: new OpenLayers.Projection("EPSG:900913"), displayProjection: new OpenLayers.Projection("EPSG:4326") } );var layerMapnik = new OpenLayers.Layer.OSM.Mapnik("Mapnik");var layerCycle = new OpenLayers.Layer.OSM.CycleMap("CycleMap");map_1.addLayers([layerMapnik, layerCycle]);map_1.addControl(new OpenLayers.Control.LayerSwitcher());map_1.addControl(new OpenLayers.Control.ScaleLine({geodesic: true}));var lonLat = new OpenLayers.LonLat(-87.621658,41.891508).transform(map_1.displayProjection, map_1.projection);map_1.setCenter (lonLat,17);var MarkerLayer = new OpenLayers.Layer.Markers("Marker");map_1.addLayer(MarkerLayer);
function osm_map_1MarkerPopUpClick(a_evt){
if (this.popup == null){
this.popup = this.createPopup(this.closeBox);
map_1.addPopup(this.popup);
this.popup.show();
}
else{
for (var i = 0; i < map_1.popups.length; i++){
map_1.popups[i].hide();
}
this.popup.toggle();
}
OpenLayers.Event.stop(a_evt);
}
var map_1IconArray = [];var Mdata = {};
Mdata.icon = new OpenLayers.Icon("http://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/wp-content/plugins/osm/icons/mic_blue_information_01.png",
new OpenLayers.Size(32,41),
new OpenLayers.Pixel(-16, -41));map_1IconArray.push(Mdata);var ll = new OpenLayers.LonLat(-87.621658,41.891508).transform(map_1.displayProjection, map_1.projection);var feature = new OpenLayers.Feature(MarkerLayer, ll, map_1IconArray[0]);feature.closeBox = true;feature.popupClass = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Popup.FramedCloud, {"autoSize": true, minSize: new OpenLayers.Size(150,150),"keepInMap": true } );feature.data.popupContentHTML = "";feature.data.overflow = "hidden";var marker = new OpenLayers.Marker(ll,map_1IconArray[0].icon.clone());marker.feature = feature;MarkerLayer.addMarker(marker);var lonLat = new OpenLayers.LonLat(-87.621658,41.891508).transform(map_1.displayProjection, map_1.projection);map_1.setCenter (lonLat,17);})(jQuery)/* ]]> */

Did you enjoy this article? Click to give the author a few cents.

from The Chicago Architecture Blog http://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/2015/07/17/optimistic-about-optima-ii/

Thursday, July 16, 2015

11 Fun Facts To Celebrate Millenium Park’s Birthday

1. It’s a meeting place, a concert venue, an ice rink, and a photo backdrop for wedding parties and quinceañeras. It is, of course, Millenium Park, which today celebrates it’s 11^th birthday.

New Eastside Chicago skyline with Millennium Park and Grant Park

2. Building the park wasn’t cheap, and certainly more expensive than originally planned. The proposed budget was $150 million, but the final cost was $475 million. Chicago taxpayers and private donors paid the tab. The latter picked up about half of the cost overruns.

3. The site of Millenium Park was a baseball field in 1871, and was home to the Chicago White Stockings, until it was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire.

4. When you walk through Millenium Park, you’re standing on a roof—in fact, its one of the largest green roofs in the world, constructed on top of a railroad yard and parking garages.

Cloud Gate

5. The Excelon Pavilions on Madison Street are four structures that generate solar energy and provide enough juice to power 14 Chicago homes.

6. The Pritzker Pavilion was classified by the city as a “bandshell” to avoid a legal hurdle. That’s because a building of its height would exceed the maximum allowed in Grant Park.

7. Artist Anish Kapoor’s centerpiece sculpture Cloud Gate (“The Bean”) consists of 168 stainless steel plates welded together, polished to hide the seams. Cloud Gate was inspired by liquid mercury.

Model of Cloud Gate

8. Some construction experts questioned whether the Cloud Gate design could even be implemented, and like the park itself, it fell behind schedule.

Crown Fountain

9. The video sculpture Crown Fountain is made out of black granite and uses light-emitting diodes to display images.

10. The metallic, curvy BP Pedestrian Bridge over Columbus Drive connecting Millennium Park to Maggie Daley Park was designed by Frank Gehry (as was the adjoining Pritzker Pavilion).

Frank Gehry’s Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park

11. The BP Pedestrian Bridge’s design does more than just look striking—it meets highway standards to manage heavy loads. It also offers a noise barrier and blocks honking horns and traffic sounds.

Did you enjoy this article? Click to give the author a few cents.

from The Chicago Architecture Blog http://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/2015/07/16/11-fun-facts-to-celebrate-millenium-parks-birthday/