Gothic Chicago by Chipka
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Description
There was a time when the skyscrapers of Chicago conformed to an older aesthetic standard...a time when the giants soon to colonize the entire American landscape borrowed from older grand structures. In this earlier time, what would become the temples to more prosaic gods (those of banking and commerce) borrowed much of their form from the massive, stone temples to a god of less physical and somewhat more incendiary pedigree. These structures, once the tallest, now crouch--nearly hidden--in the close, sun-blocking nestle of larger, sleeker, more transparent towers. But they remain, their flying buttresses and ornate colonnades, hearkening back to a time when the structures we cherished were positively encrusted with details and almost rococo decorations.
The two buildings here are the Wrigley Building, wearing that nice shade of cobalt blue. Just behind it, the Tribune tower wears the color of sodium vapor orange.
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and hopefully you're all having a great weekend, and a meaningful Memorial Day, for those who celebrate it.
**best when zoomed**
Comments (21)
beachzz
Indeed, these old classics retain their beauty and grace and dignity--beautiful shot here, Chip!!
MrsRatbag
I love these old-style beauties; they look even more graceful at night wearing their lights. Gorgeous shot!
Roxam
beautiful!
elfin14doaks
Thank you for sharing this. It's a nice photo. Well done.
Liam.
Hi Friend. What a lovely image!
wingnut55
nice shot!
ladyraven23452
love it.
anaber
Thank you!!Your photo is stunning!Great view.I think i love Chicago!!...
durleybeachbum
The Wrigley building was one of the ones we studied for part of my BA. Some more recent buildings are probably not worth many words!
mbz2662
Fantastic photo~ The old buildings have character that is for sure. Thanks for sharing :)
KatesFriend
I note also the great clock in the Wrigley Building. An added function to such grand facades back in those days when such structures were intended to serve the public and the city as well as those who erected them. The accent of the colours light on both buildings give their stone a vibrancy and life no to be seen in modern structures.
romanceworks
A great tribute to time gone by. And I like how the few lights in the windows of the Wrigley Bldg somehow giving it life within. Very nice photo and commentary. CC
CaressingTheDark
wonderful image
CoreyBlack
A wonderful shot of some of the things I still like about Chicago. This city was once an architectural capital that was known throughout the world, and buildings like this are a part of the reason why. These are two of my favorite buildings, and it's good to see that somebody else likes to photograph them as well, I've made about 50+ shots of these buildings, since I started photographing Chicago in 1986. A gorgeous, stunning capture that illuminates the majestic quality of these older buildings. Once again, very nice work.
auntietk
We have a few of these in Seattle, and they're some of my favorites. Excellent night shot!
photostar
Great shot of some truly classic structures, Chip.
Dreamingbee
amazing to see such skyscrapers .. fascinating for me - and really excellent shot!
clbsmiley
Batman!!!!! Oh you captured a lovely image here.... I had to laugh at a post of yours I read about another use for duct tape hull armor. when my son was young he used miles of duct tape, and even now he duct tapes everthing. Once he duct taped his speakers because he blew them so they were totally silver. Just the other day I bought some 8x11 sheets of duct tape..... Just for whatever use pops up.... LOL
katy555
Wonderful capture and lighting...
MOSKETON
PRECIOSA IMAGEN.
anahata.c
in your eye, these buildings do shine; and actually they've been left without too much around them, probably because of their proximity to the river. I must say that, to me at least, both do represent big money (wrigley we all know about, and the tribune was big even in the older days), so they did stand for power & commerce; but I'm not taking anything away from your powerful words, just giving my own feelings, which is that even these have big money behind them. (Those gothic cathedrals, from which some of this ornament comes, were power at its mightiest in the middle ages...) But they have a grace and presence that is lost in the box designs of later buildings. And the sodium vapor lights have a way of making everything in cities like this feel 'unreal' ("Unreal city/Under the brown fog of a winter dawn"...The Waste Land). As with all your chicago captures, it's majestic and disturbing—the lights & surrounding hig rises make everything feel very materialistic—and still filled with the mystery of night. The blue lights atop the Wrigley have a mystical feeling here. Very nice work once again. I hope you've saved every shot you've made of this city. It could be a diary of the place for everyone...