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Rate the Chicago Skyline!

  • 10

    Votes: 1,389 56.4%
  • 9.5

    Votes: 378 15.3%
  • 9

    Votes: 278 11.3%
  • 8.5

    Votes: 95 3.9%
  • 8

    Votes: 66 2.7%
  • 7.5

    Votes: 29 1.2%
  • 7

    Votes: 30 1.2%
  • 6.5

    Votes: 9 0.4%
  • 6

    Votes: 6 0.2%
  • 5.5

    Votes: 10 0.4%
  • 5

    Votes: 11 0.4%
  • 4.5

    Votes: 6 0.2%
  • 4

    Votes: 9 0.4%
  • 3.5

    Votes: 31 1.3%
  • 3 ->

    Votes: 116 4.7%

Chicago - USA

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chicago
688K views 3K replies 963 participants last post by  prageethSL 
#1 ·
Chicago, IL








 
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5
#2 ·
I admit Chicago is almost everything a skyscraper fan would ever ask for (excluding a bit creativity probably). But architecturally it is a bit overrated IMHO. I live here, and I often have to wonder if all buildings going up have been drawn by the same architect. Little experimenting takes place here. Just the conservative stuff.
 
#6 ·
one of the best skylines in the world...if that first pic doesn't convince you nothing will!!...and it's still growing!....70 some odd buildings over 500 ft/152m is nothing to sneeze at....i've always loved Chicago's skyline...impressive....10/10.
 
G
#9 ·
Chicago is the bomb hickity shickity diggity wiggity!!:D :D
One of the best skylines in the world!!!! I love it. I hope they dont mess it up. Every building is nicely in place and the architecture along the mag mile and river are just amazing!!:banana: :eek: :D

I love it!!!:D :cool: :D
Great job with the pics, Rainer!:eek:kay:
 
#12 ·
this is an unquestioned 10 in my opinion. chicago is second only
to NYC in terms of the story of the skyscraper and the skyline. it
is one of the originators of the form. doing something first, while
the rest of the world merely imitates you, still counts for
something. sometimes you just can't beat an original.


chicago is an original skyline, and it most definitely is a 10/10.








 
G
#20 ·
its certainly impressive in size but i dont like it very much. although the culmulative effect of the buildings is awe inspiring as is the size look at them - they are mostly concrete or glass boxes with little inspiration or imagination. the general standard of quality is comparable to the dreary heron quays buildings in canary wharf. imagine that for the whole skyline with a couple of black box peaks... no thanks. frankly its overrated with the likes of new york, hong kong and shanghai winning hands down with me. at least they have plenty of imagination. its also ironic to read people talking about the history, youre looking at a city that invented skyscrapers and yet demolished many of its earliest examples to build those dreary blocks im complaining about.
 
#21 ·
gothicform, what you find to be "dreary boxes" i find to be limitless beauty. there is something about the box that captures me, draws me in, fascinates and bewilders me. yes, the box is disparaged as boring and unimaginative by most of the clowns on these skyscraper forums. i understand that, i have come to accept the fact that, for whatever reason, the "masses" don't seem to like boxes.

whatever, the box is good, the box is pure, the box is true. the box represents everything that i love about architecure- stripped down, unadorned, unencumbered with the needless aspects of "wacky" design for "wacky" design's sake. i like purity of form. it is timeless, it is indeed classical. maybe not in the way that we think of roman arches or corinthian columns, but the masterworks of the international style are going to hold up very well against the standard of time.

oh, perhaps 50, 100 years after the fact, with everyone drawn immediately to whatever new-fangled contraption of form is the soup de joure long since past, these so readily defiled "boxes" will be seen in their true light with the proper perspective of time. they will be hallowed as masterworks of pure genious, the outgrowth of minds that weren't afraid to think simple, and streamlined and sterile.

yes, the box is not "popular" right now. but in due time, i am convinced, these internationalist buildings will become incredibly revered. the reason is because they don't rely on gimmicks or tricks, there is no phoniness about what they are. they are honest, they are true, and they are good.

long live the box, the most classical of all skyscraper building forms.
 
G
#22 ·
you like boxes because they are modernist. you criticise post modern architecture but dont realise that many of these "new fangled" buildings - swiss re for instance - is everything that you love about architecure - stripped down, unadorned, unencumbered with the needless aspects of "wacky" design for "wacky" design's sake. it doesnt rely on gimmicks or tricks, there is no phoniness about what they are. they are honest, they are true, and they are good.
to build a box is to lack imagination, to build 70boxes is nothing short of disasterous, you can do everything youve mentioned without ever doing a box. take a look at what is going up in european cities, the likes of turning torso or swiss re and you'll see what i mean. we can have pure forms, we can make them beautiful and individual.
 
#23 ·
British architects of yesteryear would consider an unadorned or stripped down facade blasphemy - Oxford University, Parliament are just mere examples of the architecture the British are accustomed to (or spoiled by ;) )! So I don't blame them for snubbing the "box"
 
#25 ·
Well, for 60's-70's modernist disasters I'd say greater London has it's share.

I hear what you're saying about Chicago having lots of boxes, but your claim that "the general standard of quality is comparable to the dreary heron quays buildings in canary wharf" just tells me that you've never set foot on Chicago soil.

Don't get me wrong, I would never put Chicago above London for overall architecture (I've lived in both cities), but Chicago has so much more going on than boxes.
 
G
#26 ·
i spent three months in schaumburg in 97 so i do know chicago quite well. i agree with you, on the ground chicago does have much more than boxes but in term of the skyline it doesnt as they overpower the chicago skyline. i find now that the chicago skyline doesnt look very up to date, it looks like a big 70s skyline, its best seen at night i think where the boxiness gets lost in the deluge of lights :)
 
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