Why doesn't Chicago have a Skyscraper Museum?

I agree. Another reason why Chicago deserves a skyscraper museum is that it is currently home to North America's tallest habitable structure (and still the world's tallest if you count the antennae).

If it's done right, a Chicago skyscraper museum can complement the Frank Lloyd Wright museum quite well.

TUP, that's a good question. When I first heard about the skyscraper museum in NY, I wondered why Chicago didn't have one. Unfortunately, I haven't been to the Archicenter so I don't know if it is basically the same type of thing as a musem. But if not, Chicago should definitely have one. they should put it on top of a very tall building like the Sears tower. What better place to have a skyscraper museum than on top of a skyscraper? My first recommendation for an exhibit would be a virtual reality where you could fly through different cities like a bird. If done right, how incredible would that be?

Btw TUP, the organization you speak of is The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. They moved from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania to the Illinois Institute of Technology's S.R. Crown Hall in October 2003.

Chi649 said:

But if not, Chicago should definitely have one. they should put it on top of a very tall building like the Sears tower. What better place to have a skyscraper museum than on top of a skyscraper? My first recommendation for an exhibit would be a virtual reality where you could fly through different cities like a bird. If done right, how incredible would that be?
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I like this Idea. It could occupy a couple of floors directly below the current skydeck. By having access from the skydeck the foot traffic would be massive. You could buy your ticket to either the skydeck or museum or both (the value package). Lock them in to a 99 year lease and presto, the greatest skyscraper museum in the world!
:banana:

Latoso said:

Chicago does have a skyscraper museum... It's called CHICAGO!!!
If you want a map or guided tour of it, just stop by the Chicago Architectural Foundation.

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Haha, QFT there.
But actually I would like to see a museum, and the idea of having it way up in the air is ingenious. Wouldn't it be great to have it towards the top of the Aon Center, a building heretofore so closed to the public? It would really open it up and make it a much more friendly building (not to mention make it a lot of money, heh).

^^ I like that idea too. If that were to happen, we would finally get an observation in Aon. It's in such a good location, it's a shame it doesn't have one already. After Trump, Aqua, and possibly Chi Spire are built, what an amazing location Aon will be for viewing the city.

It would certainly be a huge money maker. With all the people going to Millenium Park these days, there will be tons of people nearby on foot, just across the street.

If Chicago has a museum, it should be an architecture museum, not a skyscraper museum. Much of Chicago's most distinguished architecture is distinctly low rise. FLW's work especially. The biggest issue would be whether to make this a national museum of architecture or just a local Chicago school architectural museum.

Chicago would be a very good choice for such a museum because of its central location and distinguished architectural history. Maybe it could open up to coinside with the Olympics?

Some one mentioned a FLW museum. Does this exist? I am not talking about the home and workshop in Oak Park, or the preserved homes open to the public such as Robie House.

I recall visiting a quasi-skyscraper museum called the Chicago Athenaeum (I like the name as it denotes cultural heritage) that was above an architectural gift shop just off South Michigan Avenue. They had a model of downtown, and a number of interesting displays of towers. Now it seems that last time I checked on the internet, this organization had locations in Schaumburg and Galena, IL. Very strange, if you ask me. It had to vacate from the building in which it was housed when the building went condo. (?)

By the way, I don't agree that the Skyscraper Museum in NYC is bad. Yes, its small, but I thought the content, as well as the design of the museum itself, weren't half bad.