Author Description

This major volume on Chicago's urban history is the first to document the architectural evolution of the city in relation to the social and architectural environments before and after the Great Depression and World War II. The book identifies significant changes in city planning, land use, and transportation, and it explores some of the most exciting architecture in the world in the context of America's political, social, and cultural climate. The book contains over 600 illustrations, including line drawings of key sites and specially commissioned photographs of buildings, furniture, and other artifacts. The plates are accompanied by extensive annotations. Seventeen original and authoritative essays by scholars working in a variety of fields, including design history and American studies, offer a panoramic view of the mature twentieth-century city. Numerous innovations in urban design that have had a decisive impact on Chicago and on other cities worldwide are discussed. Among the many important developments featured are O'Hare International Airport; the first urban mall, Water Tower Place; the growth of the suburban business center; such famous skyscrapers as the John Hancock Center and the Sears Tower; the winning entry of the 1988 Chicago Public Library competition; and the controversial State of Illinois Building. The sequel to the widely acclaimed Chicago Architecture, 1872-1922: Birth of a Metropolis, published by Prestel in 1987, this volume appears in conjunction with an exhibition at The Art Institute of Chicago. Included is an exhibition checklist, a genealogy of Chicago architects, and biographies of important architects, planners, and other personalities who contributed to the shape of Chicago today.