Architecture posts

Museum Plaza in Louisville: craziest building ever February 18, 2006
Don’t even tell me that they are serious about building this. It will thrust 61 stories into the sky, a trio of towers that will dominate Louisville’s skyline. It will feature an acre-sized “island,” open to the public, that will…
McDonalds #4444 in Chicago June 16, 2005
The McDonalds in downtown Chicago on Michigan Ave right behind the Wrigley Building is store #4444. I just saw this on my receipt. Numbers like this make me happy.
Tall buildings with an American flag May 27, 2005
On the top of the 34-story Tribune Tower in Chicago flies an American flag. I don’t see any other taller buildings in Chicago sporting an American flag. Are there any buildings in the world taller than the 463-foot Tribune Tower…
Burj Dubai 800 meter tall skyscraper April 20, 2005
A 800 meter building called “Burj Dubai” is being built in the United Arab Emirates. That’s just HUGE. To compare, the Sears Tower is 443 meters. It’s to be completed in November 2008. This photo was taken by me in…
Street corners vs. room corners October 5, 2004
A couple weeks ago I posted “The top ten reasons for sitting in the corner of a room.” While researching corners online, another form of corner came up… the street corner. A search for corner on the cartoonbank yields alot…
outward appearances of buildings September 27, 2004
When outside and looking at windows of tall buildings, you’d think that you would be able to see stuff occuring inside the building. But you rarely ever see see any activity. It seems fairly lifeless. But humans outside the building…
Sears Tower string project: part two July 8, 2004
1,450 feet is pretty far After measuring the 1,450-foot distance with this measuring wheel, it was surprising how far it was. (for explanation of this project, see this previous post). The distance was far enough away that it seemed…
working at a building with a name June 19, 2004
A couple days ago i heard someone on the el say, “I went back to my building after lunch” (in reference to her work building). I like that I don’t refer to the where i work, the Tribune Tower, as…
Sears Tower string project June 19, 2004
Thinking about shadows has reminded me about an old project that never got finished. To take a piece of string the same length as the height of the Sears Tower—1450 feet. Attach one end of the string to the corner…
Tribune windows crack as Cubs fans hearts shatter October 16, 2003
After the heart-breaking loss of the Chicago Cubs, it was time to take down the huge night window sign on the Tribune Tower, home of the Cubs owners. As the Tribune engineers removed the half-inch thick gatorboards, they discovered that…
Tribune Tower transforms into a Chicago Cubs Sign October 10, 2003
The Tribune Tower is putting up one of those big window night signs for the Chicago Cubs being in the National League Playoffs. The Tribune Company owns the Cubs, so it’s about time that they finally do this. I work…
odd awning January 27, 2003
I find it odd that corner bakery at Union Station (chicago) would have an awning when it is already under a cover by the building. The awning serves no functional purpose, just ornamental.
window washers peeking into hotel windows June 12, 2002
You are staying at the 32nd floor in a hotel. You keep your curtains open figuring nobody can look inside your room when suddenly window washers appear out of nowhere! The Hyatt hotel outside my window at work is a…
Kicked out of the Amoco Building March 12, 2002
Today i got kicked out of the Amoco Building in Chicago. I wasn’t really inside the building when i got kicked out. I was standing right next to it taking pictures. The Amoco Building (or AON Center as it’s now…