I had an idle thought this week while watching clips of talk show host Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” rally in Washington D.C.: If a political or social movement stays around long enough, it will sometimes begin to express itself in graphics, language, art, fashion–-and architecture. If so, what might be the architectural vernacular of the “take back America” crowd? Read the rest of this entry →

(photo by Lee Bey)

Workers will begin deconstructing a long-vacant 92-year-old Chicago Roman Catholic Church today, and will ultimately transport the neo-classical edifice piece-by-piece 50 miles north to Lake County where it will be re-erected as part of a new church that will be built there.
Read the rest of this entry →

(photo by Lee Bey)

Did you catch this? The era of the McMansion–the oversized symbol of the real estate excesses of the 1990s and early 2000s–is now over, according to real estate site Trulia. Read the rest of this entry →

In a bid to save it from demolition, a four-bedroom Glenview home built by a nephew of Chicago planner/visionary Daniel H. Burnham is on the market for $1.

Yes, there is a bit of a catch. More on that in a bit. Read the rest of this entry →

Seven years have passed since Comiskey Park–home of the White Sox–was renamed “U.S. Cellular Field” under a $68 million naming-rights deal.

Cash from the deal made some much needed improvements to pretty-up what had been the ugliest professional baseball stadium in America. But take a gander at what could have been: an improved Comiskey Park, not as the “Cell” but, perhaps, as “The House”? Read the rest of this entry →

(photo by Lee Bey)

I drove past 67th and Dorchester recently when I spotted this old building getting knocked down. Read the rest of this entry →

(photo by Lee Bey)

The city never sleeps. But it keeps one eye open at night, rather than two–meaning Chicago doesn’t exactly roll up its sidewalks at night, but it comes close, particularly downtown. Read the rest of this entry →

(photo by Lee Bey)

I was passing through Oak Park yesterday when I saw the above box, meticulously drawn on the playground side of Mann School.

This is a box for Strike Out, a baseball-like game in which a pitcher hurtled a rubber baseball at a batter in front of the box, in an attempt to strike him out. Read the rest of this entry →

Check out this 1956 episode of “What’s My Line,” featuring architecture Frank Lloyd Wright. His voice is deeper than I imagined. And he’s certainly got charm. At the end, Wright discusses his newest project, Price Tower, and wishes aloud that a photo of it could be shown. Let’s oblige him.

*Ok.”What’s My Line” was filmed in New York City, not Hollywood. So sue me.

(photo by Lee Bey)

Two days ago, I asked you to figure out new uses for the Old Main Post Office at 433 W. Van Buren. It’s been vacant for better than a decade and although it was purchased by British developer last year, not much in the way of plans have been heard since.

I’m sure there will be some kind of announcement sooner or later. I mean, nobody buys bicycle and lets it just sit. But until then, we can dream a little. Here’s what you said here on Vocalo and on my Facebook page about what should happen to what was once the world’s largest post office: Read the rest of this entry →