The Gwen: How the Carved Relief Frame Is Actually Made
A hotel on North Michigan Avenue in a 1920s building with a sculpted limestone facade and an upper terrace.
The Peninsula Chicago: Photographing Pale, Tonal Luxury
A luxury hotel a block from the Magnificent Mile, with pale tonal interiors, a terrace and high guest floors.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago: Field Notes on a Sealed Ballroom
A hotel occupying upper floors above Michigan Avenue, with interior ballrooms and high-level guest rooms.
The Blackstone: Working a Building With Two Vocabularies
A 1910 Beaux-Arts hotel on South Michigan Avenue, with period public rooms and contemporary renovated interiors.
The Willis Tower Skydeck: Field Notes on Glass at 1,350 Feet
An enclosed observation deck on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower, with glass on all sides and projecting glass ledges.
The Museum of Science and Industry: When the Exhibits Are in the Photograph
A monumental 1893 building in Hyde Park, housing aircraft, locomotives and industrial machinery at full scale.
The Shedd Aquarium: Four Ways Out of the Bright-Aquarium Problem
A classical aquarium on the Museum Campus, with an Oceanarium wing whose windows face Lake Michigan and the skyline.
The Palmer House: How the Frescoed Ceiling Frame Is Actually Made
A grand hotel in the Chicago Loop, known for its frescoed lobby ceiling and sweeping staircase.
The Field Museum: Four Ways Out of the Big-Room Problem
A classical natural history museum on the Museum Campus, built around a vast stone central hall.
The Chicago Athletic Association: Dark Wood and Stained Glass
A former gentlemen's club on Michigan Avenue, now a hotel, with wood-panelled rooms and stained glass overlooking Millennium Park.