Ross Hansen's Objects Span the Playful to the Grotesque
In a new exhibition at Chicago's Volume Gallery, Ross Hansen transposes nature’s excesses to a startling, yet exquisite effect.
Chicago
At Columbia College Chicago, Gensler Turns the Atrium Building Inside Out
The college's new student center reimagines the typically strict delineation between spaces that exist on urban campuses.
"Southern Exposure" Uncovers the Proud Architectural Legacy of Chicago's South Side
In his new book, the journalist and photographer Lee Bey directs readers to some of Chicago's greatest architectural treasures, nearly all of them hiding in plain sight.
The Magic of This Duplex Apartment Is in Its Walls
At a Lakeview penthouse in Chicago, clever spatial fixes and a host of rich materials balance the classic and the contemporary.
Virgil Abloh's MCA Exhibition Reveals the Power—and Limits—of Design Disruption
Hemmed in by quotation marks and material double-entendres, the IIT College of Architecture–educated designer can’t break through the brands he uses to define his work.
In Chicago, the Luxe Boutique Notre Shakes Up the Retail Typology
Designed by Abigail Chang, Ben Gott, Isabelle Reford, and architecture firm Norman Kelley, the West Loop store features an entryway that doubles as a performance and lecture venue.
At the Chicago Botanic Garden, a New Space Helps Kids Deeply Engage With Nature
The Regenstein Learning Campus encourages children’s sensory discovery of the natural world—minus the gaudiness of plastic playgrounds.
Architect Stanley Tigerman Dies at 88
Known for his idiosyncratic style, Tigerman founded his Chicago firm in 1964 and has been a seminal figure in both practice and academia.
On Chicago's South Side, a Bold Mixed-Use Healthcare Project Aims to Be a Community Anchor and Public Health Salve
The proposed design of the Focal Point Community Campus for the southwest side of Chicago puts health care at the center of a holistic approach to…
The Deep Value of Community Engagement in Urban Planning
At a recent Metropolis Think Tank in Chicago, architects and developers explored the immense benefits of crossing social and cultural boundaries when planning new neighborhoods.
Designer Christien Meindertsma Is Pushing the Design Possibilities of Humble Flax
An exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago shows how Meindertsma is using flax to create sustainable furniture and objects.
Sunlight and Landscape Views Shape Studio Gang's Latest Chicago Tower
Solstice on the Park, a rental apartment tower in the city's Hyde Park neighborhood, is within spitting distance of Lake Michigan and Frederick Law Olmsted’s Jackson Park.
From Housing to Activism, the Next Chicago Architecture Biennial Will Bring Global Issues to Chicago
Yesomi Umolu, the artistic director of the upcoming Chicago Architecture Biennial, discusses the themes and narratives to be explored at this year’s event.
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.
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.
