What if Frank Lloyd Wright Designed the CTA's Transit Map?
Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie flair is reflected in everything he did. From his architectural drawings to the way he signed his name, Wright's style is certainly unique and identifiable. And while the famous architect wasn't a cartographer, it wouldn't have been too surprising to see Wright dabble in the art of map making. Author, map enthusiast and transit design historian Mark Ovenden was recently in Chicago to discuss the Chicago transit, CTA design and the latest edition of his Transit Maps of The World book. Another item he presented was this map of the CTA rail system in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright. Designed by British cartographer Maxwell Roberts, the map is of the same CTA system we're all familiar with, but reimagined in the style of Wright's Prairie School. The map is bordered with a design that harkens to Wright's art glass designs, while the font is composed of letters that may have been found on a building designed by Wright. Roberts is no stranger to Chicago's transit system, and has designed other CTA maps that try to make the system easier to navigate. This particular design does make things a little more complicated, but it's sure nice to look at.
The Five Most Expensive Listings in the South Loop Right Now
The South Loop neighborhood is on track to gain several thousand new rental units and hundreds of new hotel rooms if the plethora of new projects proposed this year make it off the ground. Few neighborhoods can compete with the number of notable projects that South Loop has gained just this year alone. Two very tall towers from noted architects have been proposed for the neighborhood, as well as some other major attractions like the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and the under-construction McCormick Place Entertainment District. Much of the neighborhood's current high-end housing stock was built during the last boom which ended abruptly in 2008. And perhaps unsurprisingly, four of the neighborhood's priciest units are at One Museum Park. Here's a quick snapshot at what's available in the South Loop's high-end housing inventory.
What It's Like to Live in a Frank Lloyd Wright Home
Kim Bixler (right) and a childhood friend outside the Wright-designed Edward E. Boynton home in Rochester, New York. Image via Kim Bixler.
"Some people restore classic cars, I happened to restore an old home."
Frank Lloyd Wright designed more than 500 completed buildings, forming a canon of architecture that few can match. Even if one judged his legacy solely on his private residences and commissions in Oak Park and Chicago, Illinois, it would still be a one worth elevating. But there's a lot more to Wright's architecture than touring the homes turned museums that have become icons and tourist draws. Literally hundreds of Wright's designs are still in private hands, and the current owners experience aspects of these unique buildings that docent-led tours can't showcase: repair, renovation, upkeep, and even the occasional die-hard architecture fan knocking on the front door all make the experience of living in a Wright home different than the norm. Curbed spoke with owners of a half-dozen Wright homes to learn what it's like to live inside one of the architect's designs.
The Tallest New Building in Oak Park Tops Out at 20 Stories
[Photos: Harry Carmichael]
At Lake Street and Forest Avenue in suburban Oak Park, the village's newest high-rise has topped out at its final height of 20 stories. Known as Vantage, the new tower has acquired the title of the tallest building in town by floor count, taking the crown from Mills Park Tower, a brutalist 19-story building to the south of downtown which has held the title since 1975. The new tower is one more piece of the puzzle being put together over the last decade and a half that is reshaping and reinvigorating downtown Oak Park. Just two blocks to the southwest, another 20 story tower will soon rise on a surface parking lot adjacent to the combined CTA and Metra station, and across the tracks. Meanwhile, another building that is expected to stand at 12 stories is planned for Chicago's next door neighbor.
Oprah Finally Ditches Her Massive Water Tower Place Condo
After nearly two years on the market, Oprah Winfrey's massive 9,600-square-foot condo along the Magnificent Mile has finally found a new owner. According to Crain's, the Water Tower Place condo sold on November 13 for $4.65 million—about 40% below the original asking price of $7.75 million. The large condo located on the building's 56th and 57th floors grew over the years as Oprah acquired and then combined four separate units throughout the mid-'80s through early-'90s. It's no shocked that Oprah has ditched this particular property, as the media mogul has been cutting ties with her Chicago propertiesover the last few years.
Chicago Collections Consortium Compiles Moments of the Auditorium Building
[images Chicago Collections]
The Chicago Collections is a testament to the power of working together, especially when you're a consortium of 21 libraries, museums, and other grand cultural institutions with archives that can tell the history and culture of Chicago powerfully in a way that no single organization can. Their site of
In the holiday season, it's a time of togetherness, reflection, community, and celebration. And that's just what the photos within the site do. For the moment, we'll look at that through the lens of the Chicago Auditorium.
Go Ice Skating Around Maggie Daley Park With This Video
There are now a handful of places to go ice skating across the city, but perhaps none can top the skating ribbon at Maggie Daley Park. The park had its inaugural opening last winter, and skating officially reopened at the park a couple of weeks ago. Photographer and Youtuber Ian W. Arsenault returned to the skating ribbon at Maggie Daley Park to film yet another pleasant video of the season's first skate. Note the people wearing t-shirts — it was actually quite warm for a weekend in November. For those looking to participate, admission is free and skate rentals are $12.
Jeanne Gang Talks Police Stations at Architecture Biennial
[image by Iwan Baan via CAB]
The inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial (CAB), as North America's largest international survey, aims to show the most interesting happenings in contemporary architecture and place making. And the people who make it happen, like Jeanne Gang.
"Architecture is such a great reflection of what culture is doing," says Gang, founding Principal of world-renowned architecture firm Studio Gang. Most people would know the work she's been responsible for, including the Wanda Vista Tower, the billion dollar statuesque structure that will stand 1100 feet and about 95 stories tall. Its three towers of47, 71 and 93 stories, with undulating waves of glass in six shades of blue-green Solarban, and one shade of gray Solarcool. When its built in 2020, it will be the third tallest building in Chicago, and the tallest structure in the world designed by a woman.
Curbed Gift Guide: 193 Ideas for Everyone On Your List
For Curbed's very first holiday gift guide, the editors sought to round up interesting gifts for all the interesting characters in your life. Architecture-loving child? Check! Dog-obsessed neighbor? Check! Sister with a burgeoning green thumb? Check, check, check. With nearly 200 ideas spanning tech, toys, textiles, books, and more, these gift guides should provide endless inspiration for everyone you might be shopping for this holiday season.
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Rehabbed Brick Two-Flat in Albany Park Seeks $460,000
[Photos: VHT Studios]
How much would you pay for a rehabbed condo in a vintage building? Would it be in the $300,000 range? Maybe the $400,000 range? Here's an old brick two-flat in Albany Park that has been completely rehabbed and has hit the market asking $460,000. The renovation job is nothing mind-blowing, but the place is clean and non offensive. Everything is pretty much on-trend as far as finishes go: cool colors, colored tile backsplash, dark stained hardwood floors, quartz countertops, and so forth. One of the biggest drawbacks is that the building doesn't have a backyard space. However, there is a park just a couple doors down. What would you pay for a place like this? Do you think it's priced right?
Cubs Offer a Detailed Look at the Future Plaza for Wrigley Field
Will it be a space for neighborhood events, a haven for beer-chugging recent college grads or something else? There's been a lot of speculation on how the new Cubs Plaza will fit into the Wrigleyville neighborhood and what kind of purpose it'll serve as the plan has spent many months being ironed out. Last year when the Cubs organization announced that the plaza would host live music events, there was considerable backlash from community members who were concerned about having amplified sound reverberating through Wrigleyville. However, the plan continues to evolve, and the team has released some refined images that give a much clearer understanding of how the space will look when completed. According to DNAinfo, who received the new renders from the team, programming for the plaza is still being discussed and decided on by Wrigleyville residents.
Our Neighborhood Coworking Spaces Are Helping the City
Some people are over the whole commuting to work from home thing. But they're also done with working from home all the time. And even from a coffee shop, the so-called third space. What's missing from all of these places?
Community, apparently. Colleagues may not be working on the same kinds of problems as you, and your home may not have anyone else working on something. Coworking spaces, on the other hand, house a collection of professionals who are passionate or otherwise committed to what they do.
Many of these spaces have coffee, beer, networking events, and camaraderie built into the usage fee for a desk. They're great resources, if you can find them. Which is why Enerspace Coworking took it upon themselves to map the coworking spaces in the city.
When Living Small Can Help a Largely Overlooked Population
Living large, where you're really taking charge, can now be defined as living small. In an era where many home and DIY shows are focusing on maximizing homes with postage stamp floor plans, it's time to think about how everyone can benefit from this.
Aside from the affluent and practical people of our generation, there are those without means. The City of Chicago reports that 19% of sheltered homeless (those who have found temporary housing in churches, for example) are between 18 and 24 years old, and they're actually actively working through jobs or education. What might help?
Get a Clean, Classic Edgewater One Bedroom for Just $175K
Head on way up to the far north, and you'll find a vast inventory of vintage condos for affordable prices. Here's a very classic (and clean) one bedroom, one bathroom unit in Edgewater that has just hit the market asking $175,000. Newer condos have a lot of modern conveniences, but many don't have formal dining rooms. This one has a formal dining room, a spacious living room with an original brick fireplace and a little sun room that can also double as a home office space. There's actually a nice amount of space for being a one bedroom, and there's also a dedicated space for laundry. The $242/month assessment isn't a killer either.
20 Charming Midcentury Kitchens, Ranked from Virtually Untouched to Fully Renovated
The open kitchen in a revamped and expanded 1966 home designed by Pierre Koenig—Photo by Cameron Carothers, courtesy of Architecture for Sale
When it comes to midcentury houses, how well the design has been maintained, restored, or updated is always a point of fervent discussion. In honor of Thanksgiving, during which copious amounts of food will be consumed, we're focusing the ogling and debate on midcentury kitchens. As the part of the home that both demands up-to-date amenities and is steeped in tradition, the kitchen often strikes an intriguing balance between authenticity and a contemporary sway. Here now, 20 rad kitchens that range from those deserving total time-capsule status to those thoroughly remodeled for modern living.
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