Architectural Snooping

On Sunday, my gal pal and I decided to check out this event called Open House Chicago.  The Chicago Architecture Foundation sponsors a free behind the scenes look at some of the city's greatest spaces and buildings.  (taken from their website of course)  Anyway, my friend and I really just wanted to achieve two goals, to go to a Chicago neighborhood that we haven't really checked out before, and to snoop on a landmark or building that we typically wouldn't be able to get access. 

Armed with our yuppie starbucks and dressed in, not planned but matching attire we set out with our smart phone map to guide us on this adventure.  To achieve our first goal of visiting a neighborhood  we typically wouldn't, I chose a destination that was on the way downtown, the old Sears Roebucks and Company complex in the neighborhood of Garfield Park or North Lawndale/Homan Square.  The neighborhood is one which I probably wouldn't venture to at night, but during the day it had it's charms.  We parked a few steps from the original Sear's Tower.  I'll bet you didn't know there were two!  It was a 14 story tower that was once a part of the Sears Roebuck and Company complex where catalogs were printed and orders were filled.  This tower was in complete disrepair.  We were required to sign safety waivers before entering the premise because it was considered a construction site. 

In the elevator I made uncomfortable jokes so that I didn't have to acknowledge the reality of how decrepit the elevator was and the chances of it plummeting to the ground causing our gruesome deaths.  Awkward jokes were definitely better!  When we got to the top, I was happy that this is where we started.  The elevators opened to a large open room filled with the cold fall air and gray sunlight.  Exposed brick walls and paint chipping from everywhere forced you to acknowledge the age of the building, and the strength of it for withstanding the many years it has seen.  There was a small outdoor space (no wider than I am) that people could go out on and look at the clear view of the city (ya know if you ignore the scaffolding).  It was amazing.

Our next stop on the tour was to the old power house for the Sears complex, which has now been turned into a school.  As my pal pointed out, can you imagine going to Power House School?  Has to be the easiest school to be a cheerleader for... right?!  We got to see the school cafeteria which which used to be full of generators and power equipment.  There was a giant hook hanging in the middle of the room and huge fans that oddly enough seemed to do nothing for air flow.  We continued our adventure and checked out two different factories, one designed by Frank Llyod Wright and another that had an Egyptian motif, quite interesting.

On the second leg of our journey we sought to see the underbelly of our fine city's government at City Hall.  Although the building was lovely, the tour left something to be desired.  At City Hall I was hoping to be blown away by seeing many secrets of the city, seeing the office where the mayor sits or going to see the much touted roof top garden.  Instead we walked past many offices and empty rooms.  I imagine that it would have been exciting had we known what happened in those many offices and empty rooms, but alas, taking a pee in the City Hall bathroom may have been the most exciting thing that I did there.  Until my friend and I spotted a dictionary outside what we determined to be someone very important's office (or so my story goes).  The dictionary was opened to a very boring word like book, but to help make ourselves laugh we turned it to the word sensual, most of our delight was in imagining the stuffy bureaucrat who noticed being slightly appalled.  After telling that story, I should have stuck with the bathroom being the most exciting anecdote... oops!

Our next stop was to the Chapel in the sky.  We continued to take rather precarious elevators during our architectural adventures.  In a rather ironic twist of fate, we had to put a great deal of faith into a small and rickety elevator that took us the the highest place of worship in the world.  The Chapel was lovely and full of light, but I prefer to worship in other ways and in other places.

Our journey continued with an interesting stop at another place of worship.  A odd looking church that sits on my favorite road along the river.  This church had had aisles upon aisles of sea foam green velour covered seats.  Again, not a place where I will be worshiping my higher power, but another place to check of the list of odd architectural curiosities.

Our final destination, after a short McNugget and fry snack (which was desperately needed) was at the Tribune building.  We got a sneak peek at the executive offices that are rarely opened to the public.  The walls were made of beautiful mahogany and there were secret doors where the crotchety original executive would only allow those he wanted into his private offices.  There were so many books some dated back to 1914 on the tall shelves.  And the panoramic view left me to wonder how this important executive ever got anything done.  We ended our adventure at someplace only fitting for my friend and I, a brewery.  Both of us were a tad curious as to how this establishment ended up as part of the architectural open house, but far be it for us to argue!  A couple of beers later, we cared little for how it had ended up on the tour!  A day I hope to repeat again next year.