From Gothic to Green: Chicagoland Architecture

In a city with as much history and expanse as Chicago, any attempt at defining a single, unifying architectural theme proves pretty impossible and short-sighted. No matter where the train takes you or what suburb you live in, there's always another remarkable bit of architecture waiting around the corner in Chicagoland, from the mightiest downtown skyscraper to the country estates of Lake Forest. Here's a look at just a few of the historical and current trends in architecture you can find in Chicago and some of its Cook and Lake County suburbs.

South Side

About seven miles south of downtown Chicago is Hyde Park and the University of Chicago campus, one of America's great examples of neo-Gothic architecture. Strongly inspired by the design and layouts of Oxford and Cambridge, most of the University's buildings were built from limestone in the late 19th century, and modeled after the traditional Gothic styles of those famous English institutions (tall, stain-glass windows, stone ornaments, soaring bell towers). This Gothic revival can be witnessed in many other buildings throughout the city, especially churches.

The South Side is also home to the Robie House, one of the many famous, innovative designs by the legendary, Chicago-area architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.

Downtown

As most people know, Chicago is widely regarded as one of the most forward-thinking and visually impressive architectural cities in the world. Its buildings might not have the multiple-century history of some other towns (thanks to the Great Fire of 1871), but Chicago more than makes up for that with its awe-inspiring range of styles.

The Loop features many turn-of-the-century, steel-frame office buildings built by the famous members of the "Chicago School" of architecture. These buildings are complemented by the modern marvels of super-giant sky-scrapers like the John Hancock Center and Sears Tower, as well as the Classical revivalism of public institutions like the Field Museum.

Downtown Chicago also features futuristic designs such as the layout of the popular Millennium Park area and its prominent, mirrored sculpture Cloud Gate (aka "The Bean"). Plus, Chicago is becoming a leading city in "Green Building," or designing and refurbishing buildings to be extremely energy efficient and eco-friendly. These green buildings are often recognizable by their rooftop gardens or "green roofs." Begun in 2000, Chicago's Green Building Project has already become a great success.

Future Downtown plans include the construction of super-tall structures tentatively known as the Waterview Tower and the Chicago Spire.

North Side

Chicago's North Side includes many charming, closely packed neighborhoods, many with Victorian architectural themes dating back to the 1870's. The designs often reflect the culture of whichever ethnic groups originally settled in the area, and range from elaborate Italianate styles to Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival buildings.

The North Side is also famously home to Wrigley Field, one of the oldest baseball stadiums still in use, and a major architectural influence on many of today's smaller, modern ballparks.

The 'Burbs

There's still plenty of interesting architecture to see outside of Chicago itself, including some of the affluent communities to the near North, like Lake Forest, Wilmette, Winnetka, Kenilworth, and Glencoe.

Wilmette is a village in the North Shore district that is famous for its memorable Tudor, neo-Gothic, and Art Deco style churches and temples, including the magnificent Bahai House of Worship.

The Wilmette football team has its arch rival in the form of the Rebels from Kenilworth, one of the wealthiest villages in America, let alone Cook County. This tiny town, like its North Shore neighbors Winnetka and Glencoe, features some of the finest examples of 20th century, American home architecture.

The same can be said of Lake Forest, one of Chicago's most famous, affluent suburbs, which is home to many classic, multi-million dollar country estates with intricate design schemes and elaborate gardens.