Chicago Picture Post (2): Architecture

[franceslievens]

Chicago will be linked to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in my mind. That was probably the reason why the very first photograph I took was of a building with owls on top.


[Harold Washington Library]

The Loop and adjacing parts of the city are of the "Biggest Is Never Big Enough" variety. Tall buildings galore, hence the crooked lines when you try to photograph them. From biggest over weird to a wedding cake in concrete and those that are always featured in the contemporary architecture magazines of a couple of decades ago:


[Sears Tower (View of the last couple of chapters from HPDH.)]


[This boatlike structure is nowhere to be found on sightseeing maps, but a sight to see nonetheless.]


[Wrigley Building, Home of a Chewing Gum Empire (middle)]


[Marina Towers (right)]

Frank Lloyd Wright has lived and worked in Oak Park, one of the many suburbs of Chicago. It is home to dozens of private homes drawn by Wright. Just walking around the wide lanes lets you mentaly travel back in time – if it weren't for the cars and the people walking around carrying audio-guides.
Wright is best known for his Prairie-style houses, of which you'll see a couple examples in pictures. The first example isn't located in Oak Park, but in Hyde Park near the University of Chicago.


[Frank Lloyd Wright Plaque (entrance of his studio in Oak Park)]


[Robie House in Hyde Park]


[Huertley House in Oak Park]

Comments

[lijability.livejournal.com]

There's just something about a FL Wright home or a home in his prairie style that just looks like it fits about anywhere you should see it. I've been to Taliesin just to the north up in Wisconsin and it looks like it just belongs on that ridge. Driven by that is, and viewed from across the valley, the $50 or more cost to take a tour of it wasn't in my budget back then. When I was there the place was still farmed and cornfields surrounded the home where the pictures now show meadows.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

We took a tour of the Robie House. What was it... $7 or $12? But I thought it well worth it's money, because they are trying to preserve it like it was envisioned in 1910 (when it was built). Otoh you can say that making a museum of a house the was intended to live in isn't exactly what an architect might have in mind. I think it's a big challenge to try to keep to initial vision of an old home, but let it have today's comfort.

That the houses should look like they rose out of the surrounding ground was central in Wright's view, hence the fact that Wright-homes always look like they belong, even though it's the only house around. The one's I saw were surrounded by other houses though!

[comava.livejournal.com]

Chicago looks interesting. The wedding cake in concrete reminds me of Chani calling Sacré Coeur a giant meringue. ;-)

Did you like DH, then?

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

I almost called it a giant meringue, and then remembered it was standing in Paris! The Sacré Coeur does resemble the meringue better than the Wrigley Building.

I totally loved DH, and was almost cheering at the end when Mrs Weasley takes on Bellatrix Lestrange. Really, if I hadn't been sitting in a park, I would have started cheering. "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" must be the best line from all 7 books. Stephen King says so too. ;-)

[comava.livejournal.com]

I sort of wished Neville would take out Bellatrix but destroying a Horcrux wasn't bad either. I always thought he'd play an important role in the end!

I love how Stephen King loves HP and isn't ashamed to admit it. Mollywobbles rocks!

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

I loved the fact that Neville was able to pull the sword of Griffindor from the hat, showing Neville is a true brave Griffindor, like Harry. Although he was brave, I don't think he would be able to defeat Bellatrix, if only by a mistake of Bellatrix. That wouldn't do this crazy witch any justice. We are all glad she got killed, but she deserved to get killed in battle and not because she blundered up and Neville was able to chop her head -- which happened with Nagini. Having Mrs. Weasley kill Bellatrix, shows what a tremendously powerful witch she actualy is [Mrs Weasley], but she only uses it in the kitchen. So all the things she does and letting all the dishes cook themselves as if it were nothing... It isn't that easy after all!

Neville had to play an important role. He also grew as character in the books: from scared little boy to leader of the opposition at Hogwarts! He was always one of the kids to put his faith in Harry, and when Harry told him he had to kill Nagini when he would see the opportunity, we knew he'd do it.

Notice how everyone got to kill one Horcrux? Harry did the diary, Dumbledore the ring, Ron the locket, Hermione the cup, the "bad guys" Crabbe, Goyle and Draco were responsible for the destruction of the tiara, and Neville killed Nagini. Neville was the only one left to destroy that last horcrux. He had been hurt by Voldemort, so he should get his revenge.

Darn, I can talk about this for hours. *grins*

[comava.livejournal.com]

Yes, and Voldemort destroyed the last Horcrux (Harry) himself. I liked how they brought it up themselves (didn't Ron mention it after Hermione destroyed the cup?) how many different people were involved, all of them chipping in to take Voldemort down... albeit unknowingly at times!

Neville is one of my favorite characters, along with Luna (Have you seen OotP? It's mostly quite bad but Evanna Lynch is brilliant). I was sort of hoping she might play an important role also and I guess she did, in a way. An interesting parallel between what her father did to protect her and what Harry's parents did.

True, Mrs Weasley was a full-fledged member of the OotP after all, no doubt she can be deadly.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

Yes, when Harry lost Ron and Hermione during the battle, and afterwards they confessed they went looking for the basilisk's tooth to destroy the cup, Ron said something along the lines off: "I thought it was Hermione's turn. She hadn't had the opportunity yet." It was something like "I did one, you did one, now it was hermione's turn to do one." Exactly the same line of thinking that brought Harry to let Ron destroy the locket. Also I believe (but I can't check because my sister is reading my book) Harry asked them both whether something happened when they tried to destroy the cup and they both say that everything went fine and they could simply destroy it. I do think they couldn't, but decided not to tell Harry, like Harry and Ron decided not to tell Hermione what happened with the locket before it got destroyed.

I haven't seen any of the HP films. For some reason I don't feel inclined to check them out either. What I will be checking out later (when I've finished the book I'm reading now) is Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials (http://www.amazon.co.uk/His-Dark-Materials-Boxed-set/dp/1407104160/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/202-2403743-8015047?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187205874&sr=8-1). I got the recommendation in Chicago from someone who wasn't allowed to buy the American version of DH from her husband, and had to wait until she went home to get the British one.

[comava.livejournal.com]

I must have missed that bit where Harry asked them how it went! And I agree, probably something happened but they didn't want to let him know. Interesting idea for possible fanfiction, I hope someone picks up on that!

Well, the movies aren't that good compared to the books so you aren't missing much. The PoA film ist the best and would have been very good if they hadn't cut out the entire Marauders subplot.

Apparently the HDM series is excellent but the synopsis doesn't interest me at all. I've had so many people recommend them to me that I'll probably check them out anyway, though.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

That's the thing: I could easily be making Harry's question up, for I don't have to book right here to check.

I actualy just decided to read them without checking the synopsis or generaly knowing what it's about! I did watch the trailer for the upcoming film made after The Golden Compass today. Looks wickedly cool. But so did the trailers for The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and I couldn't be bothered to read more of those books.

[comava.livejournal.com]

Okay, I just checked and what Harry does say is "So..." and then he gets interrupted and farther on he yells "Genius!" Maybe he asks them later but not in that short exchange after he meets Ron and Hermione fresh from the Chamber of Secrets. Anyway, it's still a good thought. What do you think Hermione might have had to struggle with?

The Golden Compass trailer left me strangly cold but I'll probably see the film and then read the books afterward, if I won't have gotten around to it by then. I'm very much biased because I grew up with the Narnia Chronicles but oh, I love them. The film was a let-down though.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

See, I'm imagining things. I got my copy back today, and of course I'm making up dialogue where non was. They only say they went into the Chamber, got the teeth and destroyed the horcrux, and Harry goes "Genius!". There's still room to make something happen there.

What would Hermione have to struggle with? Knowing Voldemort it would have been something about her being a muggle probably. And then there's her love for Ron of course, what also came up when Ron tried destroying the horcrux. That's about as far as my inspiration goes.

When reading Narnia I disliked the slow pace and their strange ways of talking. "Do, Peter..." But no-one talks like that, I thought. The kids in my class like reading them though.

[comava.livejournal.com]

It's a good idea though. Maybe taunting her with images of Ron and Lavendar? The way the Horcruxes acted on Ron's weaknesses reminded me of Boggarts but I don't think the prospect of failing tests would scare Hermione now!

I think they're good books for children, a well-thought out fantasy world but less challenging and more friendly than Lord of the Rings. Do the kids in your class read Dutch translations or are they already learning English? If I remember correctly they're still quite young, aren't they?

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

No the kids read Dutch translations. My eldest are 12. They will start English in second grade of secondary school, so that's at age 13/14. They do study French in primary school. From grade 3 on up (starting at age 8/9) in Brussels, and starting in grade 5 in the rest of Flanders. In Brussels they've got quite a lot of French. Not so much in Flanders. I hardly learned anything during French classes.

Same with HP, btw. I was talking about it with several colleagues of mine at the end of the school year and they are all waiting for October when the translation is coming out. One said "Because all the names are translated and then I don't know who's who." Which I thought a stupid reason to wait.

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

Thanks for sharing.

American cities are so different to European ones.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

You're welcome.

They're also very different from Canadian cities, which do resemble American cities in a way, but aren't European either.

By just walking around in them you see these cities are young and there growth exploded at a certain period in their history. Just the fact that all streets are straight! I'm not one for being aware of wind direction, but in Chicago I was all going "It's noon. We've got the sun in our back. So we should go that way." It's what you get when all streets are oriented North/South or East/West. For the first time in my life I actualy said: "We should go North." or "This train goes North."

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

Hm. Knowing about where north and south is is something I've thought about. The continental Europeans I know tend to be totally unconcerned with that. Well, I do know which parts of my city are in the south and which are in the north but that's because there are actually signs calling them that. I noticed that in the UK people tend to know more about directions - we'd never call a motorway "northbound", but it's something that comes up in traffic reports in the UK all the time.

I'm not sure why that is. Are we in some way illiterate?

I've managed to find my way out of Edinburgh because I looked at the sun and then decided where we'd have to go. We were travelling by car and there weren't any signs. I think that's the only time that I've ever done this - apart from New York of course.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

I know East and West here, because driving to my parent's is driving to the East. The canal is a bit of a North/South divide, but that's about it. When I told people we're going to live South of a certain landmark in our new appartment they all looked at me unknowingly, but looking at a map it's the best way to describe it. Here you go by landmarks, and actualy we say "above" and "below". So you can live "above the canal", or what's even more common "on the other side of the canal". That last one is crazy, because when you live at the other side of the canal, you actualy tend to say you live "on the other side of the canal", whereas the other side wouldn't be where you're living, but well the other side.

I know my appartment is East/West oriented. That's important to know, because I wouldn't like living in a house that's North-South oriented. That means having no light at all during certain periods of the day. Our new appartment faces East, and the bedrooms face West, so again the nice orientation.

I think I am illiterate, but only in a way that I don't pay attention to it when I walk around somewhere. At my school I know how the sun travels, so I know I only get sun in the late afternoon, which makes for a nice cool class in Summer.

[lijability.livejournal.com]

Laying out streets on right angles came to be one way in which US cities were platted, since sometimes cities did not grow organically as much as be created prior to being occupied. But look at Washington DC. It was platted first, and it's system of streets is all angular but almost chaotic with streets at all angles. Some older east-coast cities have a more chaotic pattern often the result of the topography (Charlotte, North Carolina, comes to mind).

In the Midwest the US government established the Township and Range system which platted the area on north-south/east-west lines. That more than anything resulted in streets following township or section boundaries.

But in places the topography, often a river, caused a skew in that arrangement. For instance, if you look at my hometown of Vincennes, the main roads paralleled the river with cross-streets at a right angle running from the river. It might be pointed out too that Vincennes was first settled by the French and if you look southwest of town and on the Illinois side of the river you see long property boundary lines which typify the French arpent system (I think), how much land a person could plow in a day with a horse/mule/oxen from the river to a main road (like Cathlinette Road running southwest from Vincennes. This led to a problem with Vincennes residence knowing what is north. Anything running alongside the river was north-south, and from the river is east-west. But that is turned about 45 degrees from the true directions. This led a United States Postmaster General to state when he visited Vincennes in the early 20th century that he never ran across a people who couldn't tell what direction they were pointed in.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

Funny story about Vincennes, so we had it kinda right: it's because we have no reason to know which way is North, we don't know it. We just look at landmarks.

The Chicago river strengthens the North/South/East/West divide. Check it out on the map (http://maps.google.be/maps?q=Chicago,+IL,+USA&ie=UTF8&ll=41.884132,-87.63236&spn=0.037062,0.058279&z=14&iwloc=addr&om=1) (you'll have to zoom in to see the three branches of the river).

[lijability.livejournal.com]

A-ha! I've been down on the loop so I know what you mean about the rigidity of the N-S/E-W grid. But here's another story for you about that grid. The Illinois/Indiana boundary was designated to be the Wabash River from the Ohio River to that point where the Wabash turns east of a line running north from the Court House in Vincennes, Indiana. That line is to be the boundary until it runs into Lake Michigan. You can see that line almost centered (running north-south) on the map of Vincennes, which I linked above (it is not a township/range boundary).

If you go to your map of Chicago and zoom in twice then start panning south (or pan south a bit then zoom in twice). South of Stevenson Expressway (aka I-55; that segment between Lakeshore Drive & the Dan River E-way) you will see a South Michigan Ave and on either side of it is a Indiana Ave and a Wabash Ave. Now if you pan further south you will see a north-south street eastward of Wabash and Indiana Avenues abouut halfway to the lake. This street angles a bit from the east to the west as it goes south - that is Vincennes Avenue! Vincennes Avenue gets a true north-south orientation as you move south and finally ends at Washington Park. South of Washington Park the streets get renamed.

Ok.... I have heard it said about both Vincennes and Wabash Avenues that one of them represents that due north line coming out of Vincennes. Now if you follow either of the lines of those streets north, they cut out a chunk of Chicago and would have given it to Indiana. The line of Wabash Avenue, in particular, would give Indiana all of Grant Park, Navy Pier, & the best of the Lakeshore, the Field Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, and it would cut right through the heart of the loop before finally contacting Lake Michigan.

All that prime real estate (and the taxes it provided) would have gone to Indiana. When that was finally surveyed and discovered that Indiana should include a chunk of Chicago, the boundary was redefined. Every so often about every township the state boundary was shifted east until the boundary struck Lake Michigan about 5 miles east (and further south, just off Chicago's Calumet Park.

I guess you can take the north-south thing a bit too far!