Chicago 2005

On October 6, 2005, twelve students from the graduate seminar "Architecture of the Upper Midwest" and their instructor Victoria Young traveled to Chicago for a weekend study trip. We began with a stop at the Starlight Theater in Rockford, IL, a kinetic building wonderfully explained by its patron, Mike Webb. Friday morning we met in the Loop for a student-led skyscraper tour. Each student spoke for five minutes at their designated building and although we spent the entire three-hour walk in the rain, our spirits were not dampened on what turned out to be an excellent tour! The class then visited the Chicago Art Institute to take in its collections and an exhibit on Chicago architecture ca. 1945. Saturday found us in Oak Park, the home of everything Frank Lloyd Wright. We toured Wright's Home and Studio and then walked around town looking at other Wright designed homes. Our final stop was at Unity Temple, the concrete sacred space Wright completed in 1905. Not only did this outing provide the class with the opportunity of seeing architecture first hand, it also allowed the students to get to know each other better. This camaraderie and collegiality is an important part of any graduate program and particularly the one at St. Thomas.

Starlight Theater, Photo by KL	Photo by NW	Photo by VMY

Diane H.: The trip to Chicago was a great way to apply what we have learned in class to the buildings themselves. It occurred to me many times during the trip that the best way to experience art is to stand beside it. Many of us commented on how the buildings themselves were different than the way that we perceived them from looking at photographs. The essential nature of human interaction with the scale and form of architecture really became apparent. We had excellent tour guides in Rockford and Oak Park who were eager to share their expertise and were passionate about the buildings we toured. One of the most enjoyable touring experiences was the skyscraper tour where we each became the expert on one building and served as our own guides. Along with the excellent educational experiences we had, the trip was a great way to build camaraderie and collegiality among all in the class who participated.

Kendall L.: The first evening we visited the Starlight Theatre in Rockford, Illinois which was designed by architect Jeanne Gang. Our group was treated to an incredible tour by the guiding force responsible for the coordination of the development of the site over the last twenty-five years, ultimately resulting in this unique centerpiece of kinetic architecture. Michael Webb the Theatre Director showed us all aspects of the theater and with animated enthusiasm. He gave us a well rounded picture of the many aspects that went into building the Starlight Theatre; from the architect, engineers, local construction, planning and selection of materials, and the technology behind the kinetic aspects of the roof. The Starlight Theatre tour was worth the trip alone, however the next day we went on to tour and experience the evolution of the skyscraper in the midwestern city of Chicago. Students presentations covered buildings from William La Baron Jenney and Louis Sullivan to Mies van der Rohe and Helmut Jahn. The final day was in downtown Oak Park, viewing the Frank Lloyd Wright "Bootleg" houses, his self designed studio and family's home, a walking tour of his neighborhood and we finished with tour of Wright's monumental Unity Temple.

Sarah C.: I thought the trip was really good. I felt it was really valuable to actually see some of the buildings we've been discussing. To have Mike from Starlight show us around his brainchild was really exciting. Talking to him you can see first hand the passion and love architects and designers feel for their projects. We keep reading about how Wright manipulates space and to actually feel that manipulation first hand as you walk through a building is really neat. I think it was also really good general bonding experience. We go to school with each other all the time, but it was really nice to spend some more time getting to know the other students in the program and for me it helped increase my sense of camaraderie with my fellow students. Walking away from this trip I take with me a new appreciation for the importance of experiencing buildings first hand as well as gratefulness for the time I got to spend with friends and fellow students who enjoy architecture as much as I do.

Mike Webb at Starlight, Photo by MM	Skyscraper Tour, Photo by EK	Group at Chicago Tribune, Photo by MA

Katie M.: I was most impressed with the level of knowledge that every one exhibited with their presentations on the spot - rain or crowds, every one knew their building and it was a pleasure to learn from their research. The inside of The Rookery building was a definite "WOW" factor, the James R. Thompson Center was a little ho-hum not to mention major vertigo, and I never knew the Chicago Tribune Tower had flying buttresses. The architecture exhibition at the Art Institute was interesting and helpful in putting into perspective what was happening in the field of architecture while our country was at war - I especially liked that my architect was included. The biggest surprise factor was the Greek frieze in the foyer of the Frank Lloyd Wright house which looks oddly out of place even if it was the fashion of the time, and the size of Unity Temple - I was prepared for a MUCH larger building. Size aside, the tour guide definitely knew her stuff - "So, let's talk about spatial cooooontrast." It was a little bit of a let down that architecturally Unity Temple is a space of worship and for me it had been deconstructed to the point of no feeling of the sacred - it may as well have been a secular space. Plus, Unity House directly adjacent has WAY too many browns going on and I look forward to the day they can restore it accurately. And lastly, I loved my building! I had always wondered what in the world those round things were that we all laughed at and called the "Corn Cobs"! Not only do I understand the architecture and the architect of Marina City, but I understand them in a way I never thought I would and I love them! I don't think they are ugly at all anymore.... that too is priceless.

Jennifer C.: Its a really is a tough choice to pick out my Chicago favorite but I think the skyscraper walking tour on Friday was certainly a highlight, not to mention a great learning experience. Presenting research while standing in front of your topic is a very different experience from using slides or PowerPoint. The task really forces you to use the object as reference while you're discussing it. It also gave you the opportunity to see things first hand and to get a better sense of the space and height of the buildings (a very important feature when talking about skyscrapers!) Of course, including 3 hours of rain also presents a challenge to your presentation!

Abby R.: Overall, I found our class trip to Chicago a very engaging and fun experience. It was such a joy to see the buildings and objects that we have been studying in real life. I really enjoyed all the tours that we were able to go on. I felt that each tour guide was so knowledgeable, informative, and amusing. Listening to them gave me a renewed sense of interest in the architecture and issues/stories surrounding them. Another enjoyable part of our trip was the comradeship I felt with my colleagues. Despite the rain, listening to everyone speak during the architecture tour was great. This was also an unparalleled opportunity to get to know everyone on a deeper level which I appreciated.

Emily K.: I had a wonderful time on the Chicago trip. I was so busy in the days leading up to it that I did not have much time to think about it, so once on the road I had no expectations and just relaxed. I enjoyed every minute of it, but what I will always remember is getting to know my classmates/colleagues outside of the three hour class. Katie, Sarah and I had such an amazing time talking about everything from architecture to marriage proposals. It was a really meaningful experience that deepens my appreciation and connection to the program. I loved the skyscraper walk and while some will complain about the rain, clouds and long time on their feet, there was something fascinating around every corner from Sullivan to Mies to the Bean. The rain added to the gritty city feel. Chicago is so invigorating and to experience it with like-minded people was definitely a highlight.

Nicole W.: It is amazing to me the impact of seeing a building in person -- especially one that I have researched and written about extensively. I think my favorite portion of the trip was our visit to Starlight Theater in Rockford, Illinois. It is a spectacle of technology with its movable ceiling panels, acoustics and poured concrete walls, yet its overall design theme of constellations, as well as its combination of materials (stainless steel, pine and copper) make it such an aesthetically pleasing space. We were able to see the theater from several vantage points, including the stage, the seats and even the back of the building, providing new perspectives within my experience of the building -- I stood in the shoes of an audience member, a theater director, an architect and an actress. Seeing the space this way enhanced my understanding of both its form and function. I hope to one day see a show at Starlight Theater: what theatrical role does the building play in a production Overall, our trip to Rockford, downtown Chicago and Oak Park provided an architectural sampling of some of the Midwest's most historical and progressive buildings of the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Melissa M.: The entire Chicago trip was extremely fun. My mom joined me, so it was nice to spend time with her, and she had never been to Chicago. Having been to Chicago before, the highlight of the trip for me was being with my mom as she experienced it for the first time. She was astounded on the size of the city, and the beauty of the buildings. Being a Minneapolis native, she was amused to compare the Chicago Tribune building with the Minneapolis Tribune building. She was shocked at the beautiful and massive structure of the Chicago Tribune building and was disappointed in the Minneapolis Tribune building. She remarked that comparing the two structures was similar to comparing the two cities. Chicago is simply more massive, and more globally centered compared to Minneapolis, and this is reflected in the city's architecture.

Oak Park Tour, Photo by EK	Touring Oak Park, Photo by VMY	Group at Frank Lloyd Wright home and studio, Photo by MA

Laura T.: Yes, I had a great time! Thanks for all your work arranging everything. It was incredibly helpful for me to see in person the types of buildings we've been reading about. I noticed this especially on our skyscraper walking tour through downtown. Looking the buildings while hearing the great presentations made me see aspects of the skyscrapers that I hadn't noticed before. Being inside Unity Temple was a wonderful experience as well. Oh, and I think the best part, I was really blown away by the Starlight Theater! Mike Webb's tour really brought that building to life for me. Has anyone ever written anything about the story of the Starlight Theater.

Melissa A.: Chicago is known as the Windy City, but for the Midwest architecture class it will also be know as the Wet City! But our trip began not with rain, but with the cold and the wind in Rockford, IL where we visited the Starlight Theater. What a wonderful experience the Starlight Theater was and one I personally think was the highlight of the trip. Theater manager Mike Webb gave us a wonderful tour and told us about the trials and tribulations of what it takes to build the open roof theater of your dreams. The opening of the roof was a silent and amazing experience. I especially liked the idea that all it takes is a thumb print to open the roof. Friday was very wet and had a lot of walking, but it was very interesting to see the diverse architecture that makes up Chicago. Every skyscraper architectural style and building type you can think of is represented in the city. My building was the Chicago Temple with its beautiful Gothic spire, and although no longer one of the tallest buidlings in Chicago it is still incredibly beautiful. Saturday's walking tour of Oak Park was much like Chicago in that almost every residential architectural style is represented in Oak Park. It was a wonderful experience to walk around the city and see Victorian homes next to houses build by Frank Lloyd Wright. Overall our fieldtrip was a good experience, because while photos in books and articles are nice, nothing compares to physically seeing and walking by a building that we have read and studied about.

Natalie S.: The trip to Chicago was a very worthwhile experience. Seeing the building we discussed in class, first-hand, helped me to understand them in a different way. Despite the weather, I really enjoyed our skyscraper walking tour. It was really interesting to hear my classmates talk about a specific skyscraper, and to see it right there behind them. The trip was also great because I got to spend more time with my classmates on a social level. It was a lot of fun socializing with everyone outside of the classroom.