John Ronan Architects Designs ETFE Cushion Facade at IIT
"I wanted to do a light, cloudlike building that made Crown Hall look heavy by comparison," says architect John Ronan, referring to the campus's iconic Mies van der Rohe building.
Chicago
An Old Chicago Factory Loft Is Transformed Into a Homebody's Dream
Faced with a 2,250-square-foot space and 24-foot ceilings, Vladimir Radutny Architects deployed multiple strategies to make this former automobile factory homey.
Life After the Death of the Office: Avoiding Ubiquitous Workplace Design in a Tired Market
Thanks to cloud computing and Skype, there’s less need for a physical office, but the urge to transmit corporate culture and values persist.
New Chicago Restaurant Combines California-Inspired Design and Cuisine
Pacific Standard Time, whose interiors are by New York–based firm Parts and Labor Design, is awash in a palette of terrazzo, textural glazed tile, leather, and wood galore.
Landscape May Be Architects' Best Tool for Tackling Inequality
This past July, Ross Barney Architects hosted a Think Tank discussion on inequality that included representatives from the Metropolitan Planning Council and Related Midwest, as well as moderator Susan S. Szenasy.
Will the Culture of Good Taste Devour McDonald’s?
Two new sparkling buildings in Chicago—designed by Carol Ross Barney and Gensler, respectively—demonstrate a new design direction for the ubiquitous fast-food chain.
Metropolis Magazine’s 10 'Buzzing' Design Cities of 2018
From Detroit to Seoul, these cities manage to have global design influence while maintaining a their unique regional identities.
Chicago Exhibit Spotlights Charlotte Perriand’s Alpine Ski Resort
The legendary designer and Le Corbusier collaborator broke the mold with her Modernist, male contemporaries, according to a show at Matthew Rachman Gallery.
Chicago's Aurélien Residential Tower Brings Luxury Down to Earth
Aurélien, a new residential high-rise in Chicago’s upscale Gold Coast neighborhood, balances drama with practical amenities in a park-like setting.
Carol Ross Barney is Chicago’s New Daniel Burnham
Over the past decade, Chicago architect Carol Ross Barney has moved beyond the design of buildings toward stewardship and restoration of urban ecology.
See Updated Renderings of the Obama Presidential Library
After soliciting input from thousands of stakeholders, the Obama Foundation revealed yesterday a refined design for the multi-building complex.
The Future of Living: Housing Innovation in Underserved Markets
A Q&A with Booth Hansen architects on how innovations in construction are changing the dynamics of residential development.
The Ace Hotel Chicago Uses Art to Channel Mies van der Rohe and the Bauhaus
The hotel collaborated closely with Volume Gallery, a creative local art space with a strong emphasis on emerging designers, artists, and architects.
Does Apple's New Chicago Store Have Something to Say About the Future of Cities?
The company's new flagship has plenty of civic ambitions, but doesn't quite live up to them.
"Starship Chicago," a Documentary on Helmut Jahn's Controversial Thompson Center, Is Free to Watch Online
The 1985 building, threatened with demolition, is a riot of glass, mirrors, and blue- and salmon-colored panels that swirl around an enormous 17-story atrium.
Johnston Marklee Breathes New Life Into Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art
The MCA approached Johnston Marklee to create a strategic masterplan after the firm's MCA installation for the 2015 Chicago Architecture Biennial.
Top 10 Things to Do and See at the Chicago Architecture Biennial
The biennial officially opens to the public on September 16 and runs through January 7, 2018. Here's your guide to this year's big event.
Community Colleges Are the Next Frontier for Bold Architecture
With major architecture firms getting involved, these formerly neglected institutions are having a design renaissance—and showing us how design could transform the American education system.
The World's Best Design Cities 2017
Metropolis editors choose 15 cities around the globe that set the bar highest for progressive design and good living.
Spotlight: Chicago Riverwalk's Transformation Into Recreational Frontier
The popular new public space, a finalist for the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence, is part of Mayor Emanuel’s “Building on Burnham” initiative.
