Scraping The Sky by beachzz
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Description
I was going thru my files and found this Chicago shot of the Hancock Building. It was directly across the street from our hotel.
Comments (14)
sharky_
Such an incredible shot and POV of this John Hancock Building. I like your title too... Aloha
jmb007
bonne photo
evielouise
strange and mighty shape wow
awjay
super shot
durleybeachbum
Striking and scary!!
blinkings
Well done on this. It makes me feel very small.
auntietk
I remember that afternoon, with that amazing, gorgeous, orange light on the Hancock. I would be tempted to think you applied color, had I not been there and seen it with my own eyes. A fabulous image!
anahata.c
Marvelous! I too remember the visit, though maybe I wasn't with you when you took this. But the orange light is really varied, lots of spotting and different hues, and I've never seen it captured like this before! And, if one looks closely---full view---they'll see the top of the Hancock "ripple"---I don't know if that's from atmosphere, or maybe the window's curves (if you were taking this through a window); or maybe the Hancock-gods were looking down & whispering, "let's ____ up Marilyn's pic!" I love it! And the shot is pure Hancock & pure you, exciting and also angled, as you have an instinct for finding the angles we never see. And of course the thing is soaring... You want some interesting tidbits? I'll take that for a "yes". (Oh will you be sorry.) The Hancock was built by Skidmore Owings & Merrill, the Big Kahunas of corporate architecture, who took their inspirations from the greater (& subtler) masters of "minimalist" design, Walter Gropius, Mies van der Rohe, etc. But Skidmore---often abbreviated "SOM"---had a way of 'corporatizing' their predecessors' visions, making them uniform and straight-laced and, well, even brutish. So when this beast went up, a lot of architecture fans felt: Hells bells! What an ugly monster to put in our beautiful skyline! But---there's a happy ending---after awhile people started to like it, in part because of its ugliness & brutishness, and its way of standing in your face. It's actually become friendly, a friendly beast, surrounded by smaller bldgs; and when you're right up against it (as you know), it has its own unique pull & even beauty. So SOM made a building that has turned out to have an odd appeal, for all its muscularity. Those big criss-cross girders? They're, in part, to brace the building against wind. Amazing, isn't it? That wind could be a problem for a beast like this? But even the Hancock sways broadly when barraged by continuous strong winds, and the bracing helps, believe me. Also, people on the high floors say that, on foggy days, they're looking into the abyss. Trust them: I see it too, and i'm only on the 27th floor. But it's quite a sight to wake up, open your curtains, and---BOOM! The world has disappeared!!! Fa-Zhooom! Also, it's one of a few buildings you can see from miles away, way out in the suburbs. It's like a mountain, or one of those commanding cathedrals in small European towns where, wherever you go, it's visible. Imagine the plains people a millennium ago, waking up and instead of seeing a swamp---which is exactly what the Hancock sits on---and beautiful Lake Michigan, saw this. They wouldn't believe their eyes. And the top floor---all glass---changes color many times a year: I see it out my window, I look, oop----the Hancock's gone GREEN again: Must be St. Patrick's Day! Just some background, in case you were interested...
MrsRatbag
Fantastic POV to appreciate this towering presence, and that colour is amazing!
angora
awesome POV!!
0rest4wicked
Looks crazy up at the top, nice lighting!
Chipka
LOL@ Mark's comment! I saw the ripple too, and figured it was because you were looking up through glass. I like the idea of the Hancock Gods a lot more. What a shot this is. Great light. It's so bizarre seeing it. The light almost looks liquid, like it's flowing down the strutwork. Great POV and hopefully this can serve as a prelude to a return to Chicago. The Red Head Piano Bar awaits, you know!
CoreyBlack
Hmmmm, the lighting here makes "Big John" look like he's been dipped in 10W40 and its slowly running down the X-members. Always interesting seeing another person's take on a familiar local landmark. Wonderful shot.
danapommet
This is a wonderful shot Marilyn but on my only trip to Chicago - this was called the Sears Tower. I am getting old!