The birthplace of the skyscraper, Chicago is famous for an architectural tradition that has influenced building around the globe. It is the cradle of modern architecture. It gave rise to the urban office building and to the flowing, open floor plans of today's homes. Chicago Architecture and Design chronicles the city's architecture from the 19th through the early 21st century: from the structural simplicity of Chicago School commercial building to the low-slung Prairie School hou...

Des Moines boasts a remarkable architectural portfolio rich in depth and quality. The town drew wide attention in the nineteenth century with structures like the Iowa State Capitol and the Terrace Hill mansion. Des Moines embraced the City Beautiful movement in the twentieth century and became home to well-known work by Eliel and Eero Saarinen, notably the city's innovative Art Center. A contemporary architectural renaissance produced lauded landmarks like the Meredith Headquarters, the De...

This is the very first biography of a twentieth century powerhouse couple who, with prescient and persistent methodologies and hearts, gave four decades of legislative service and established much of Illinois' dedicated political tradition.Spanning everything from the awkward dance of prohibition in Evanston to Marguerite Stitt Church's involvement in the creation of the Peace Corps — with a particular focus on her remarkable legacy as a pioneer for women in government — this histor...

A deep exploration of modern life that examines our cities, public places, and homes.Following How Architecture Works, Witold Rybczynski casts a seasoned critical eye over the modern scene with Mysteries of the Mall. His subject is nothing less than the broad setting of our metropolitan world.In thirty-five discerning essays, Rybczynski ranges over subjects as varied as shopping malls, Central Park, the Paris opera house, and America's shrin...

“A handy guidebook that profiles a building per page, with a drawing and vital statistics on most of Chicago’s major historic and modern buildings.”—Chicago TribuneUpdated and expanded to chart the changing urban landscape of Chicago--as well as to incorporate a section on Chicago’s campus architecture, including works by Rem Koolhaas at the Illinois Institute of Technology and Frank Lloyd Wright at the University of Chicago--the second edition of this popular handbook is ...

The birth of the skyscraper in Chicago in the mid-1880s introduced a new direction for city architecture: upwards. But how-and why- was it that Chicago set the standard for high-rise buildings, not only across the USA but all over the world? Rolf Achilles here introduces the style of the First Chicago School from 1880 to 1910, explaining the innovative use of iron frames for strength, height and openness, and the ubiquity of gridded window arrangements. With reference to such famous archit...

There is no better way to see America than on foot. And there is no better way to appreciate what you are looking at than with a walking tour. Whether you are preparing for a road trip or just out to look at your own town in a new way, a downloadable walking tour is ready to explore when you are.Each walking tour describes historical and architectural landmarks and provides pictures to help out when those pesky street addresses are missing. Every tour also includes a quick primer o...

There is no better way to see America than on foot. And there is no better way to appreciate what you are looking at than with a walking tour. Whether you are preparing for a road trip or just out to look at your own town in a new way, a downloadable walking tour is ready to explore when you are.Each walking tour describes historical and architectural landmarks and provides pictures to help out when those pesky street addresses are missing. Every tour also includes a quick primer o...

"This excellent book" includes nearly 350 superb images, fascinating architectural history, and a new introduction by Sara Paretsky ( The City Review).The Chicago lakefront is one of America's urban wonders. The ribbon of high-rise luxury apartment buildings along the Lake Michigan shore has few, if any, rivals nationwide for sustained architectural significance. This historic confluence of site, money, style, and development lies at the heart of the update...

A captivating exploration of the ever-evolving world of architecture and the untold stories buildings tell.When a building is finished being built, that isn’t the end of its story. More than any other human artifacts, buildings improve with time—if they’re allowed to. Buildings adapt by being constantly refined and reshaped by their occupants, and in that way, architects can become artists of time rather than simply artists of space.From the connected farmh...

The New York Times BestsellerIn her own words, Ruth Bader Ginsburg offers an intimate look at her life and career, through an extraordinary series of conversations with the head of the National Constitution Center.This remarkable book presents a unique portrait of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, drawing on more than twenty years of conversations with Jeffrey Rosen, starting in the 1990s and continuing through the Trum...