Photo of the Week: RUMP

"RUMP" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mmmm lens, 1/320sec at f8, ISO200.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower has gotten a lot of flack lately in Chicago, in particular for Donald Trump's decision to add his name in giant lettering to the side of the building.  Personally, I'm not a fan, so I decided to have some fun with Photoshop, turning TRUMP into RUMP in this photo.  I did this by simply copying part of the building directly to the left, and then adjusted it into position so everything lined up correctly.  I could also remove the P with this same method, creating the RUM building, and another idea is to change the U into an A, which would, in my mind, transform the entire building into an homage to 70s group SUPER TRAMP.  But that's a lot more work.

This was taken on the same day in June as the previous set of fog photos.

Photo of the Week: Marina Towers Abstract

"Marina Towers Abstract" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mm lens, 1/100sec at f8, ISO200.

This week's photo is an abstract take on Chicago's iconic Marina City.  With this shot, I tried to focus on the building's distinctive curved lines.  The stark contrast and heavy blacks were achieved in post processing. 

Here's what the Photoshop levels adjustment looks like:



That's more extreme than most post processing that I do, but I think it works well here.  Shadow details: who needs 'em! 

Open House Chicago: Kemper Building

Last weekend I attended the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s excellent Open House Chicago event for the third year.  And for the third year I had a blast exploring Chicago history and architecture.  I also once again took an obscene amount of photographs, most of which, if I'm being honest with myself, will probably not see the light of day for some time.  Busy, busy.

The first site that I visited this year was the Kemper Building at State and Wacker.  The Kemper Building makes the Open House Chicago list not for any significant architectural achievements (it's a pretty boring 1960s office building, in my humble opinion) but rather because it has a rarely used observation deck on the 41st floor that affords some pretty dramatic views in all directions.  Unfortunately, as you can see in the photos below, it also has some of the most reflective and dirty windows that I've ever encountered.  I stopped by Kemper last year and found the experience frustrating, but this time around I tried to embrace the chaos:


"Hall of Reflection" © Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ Sigma 10-20mm lens, 1/160sec at f7.1, ISO400.


"Hall of Reflection, 2" © Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ Sigma 10-20mm lens, 1/200cec at f7.1, ISO400.


"Hall of Reflection, 3" © Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ Sigma 10-20mm lens, 1/80sec at f8, ISO200.


"Hall of Reflection, 4" © Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ Sigma 10-20mm lens, 1/320sec at f7.1, ISO200.

You can see more of my (slowly) expanding Open House Chicago photos on flickr.

A quick plug for the Chicago Architecture Foundation.  This year I purchased a membership for $65, which gives you priority access to all Open House Chicago sites-- a big time saver at some locations-- plus access to member only sites.  In addition you also get a 2 for 1 discount on their river boat tours, and a bunch of other great benefits.  Totally worth the money.

Photo of the Week: Arched

"Arched" Copyright Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ Sigma 10-20mm lens, 1/320sec at f8, ISO100

This week's photo is a shot of the iconic Wrigley Building, looking up from the walkway that separates the two halves.  I've probably walked through here a hundred times, but I don't think I've ever looked up while under this arch before.  I had a lens with me that I don't normally carry-- the Sigma 10-20mm-- and I find that sometimes helps me to see things in new ways.

The Thompson Center - A monument to 1980s excess

"Atrium" Copyright Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w 16-85mm lens, 1/100sec at f8, ISO400.

I've never much cared for the Thompson Center.  If I'm feeling charitable I'd say we have a love/hate relationship-- I enjoy photographing it, but I don't enjoy the building as a whole.  I consider it a monument to 1980s excess, the architectural equivalent to hair metal, insider trading, and oversized cell phones.  It looks like something out of a science fiction movie, but not great science fiction, like Blade Runner.  No, this is more the cheesy action flick that you enjoy in spite of itself.  This is Total Recall.

Designed by Helmut Jahn, the Thompson Center opened in 1985 as the State of Illinois Center.  Its most distinctive features are a curved south wall made entirely of glass, and a colossal central atrium (pictured above) which opens fully to each of its 17 floors.  Taken by themselves these would be great features, but unfortunately the architect went with a color scheme-- salmon and sky-blue-- that would look garish even on a newborn baby, and the atrium has far too many reflective surfaces for my tastes.  The open design has also been an engineering nightmare, and has proved much more costly to both cool and heat than expected.

I've avoided the color scheme in the top photo by converting it to black and white (except for the flag), but you can see it in the two abstracts below.  I was surprised to learn after a recent visit that I didn't have a single photo of this building in my flickr photostream.  So, here it is.


"Legoland" Copyright Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w 16-85mm lens, 1/160sec at f5.6, ISO800.


"Layers" Copyright Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w 16-85mm lens, 1/200sec at f7.1, ISO800.

Update 05/28/13: the third photo is featured on Gapers Block today.

Bridgeview Bank Uptown - Open House Chicago

Bridgeview Bank, formally Uptown Bank, and originally built as the Sheridan Trust and Savings Bank Building in 1924, has long been one of my favorite buildings in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood.  I've captured it's exterior quite a few times, so I was excited when I learned that it was on the schedule for the Chicago Architecture Foundation's excellent Open House Chicago event.  Below are a sampling of photos from the interior, the first floor of the grand banking hall:


Nikon D7000 w/ Sigma 10-20mm lens, f4 at 1/125sec, ISO800. © Andy Marfia 2012 All Rights Reserved.


Nikon D7000 w/ Sigma 10-20mm lens, f4 at 1/160sec, ISO800. © Andy Marfia 2012 All Rights Reserved.


Nikon D7000 w/ Sigma 10-20mm lens, f4.8 at 1/100sec, ISO800. © Andy Marfia 2012 All Rights Reserved.


Nikon D7000 w/ Sigma 10-20mm lens, f5.6 at 1/60sec, ISO800. © Andy Marfia 2012 All Rights Reserved.

These last two photos are of the vault in the basement.  Both the banking hall and the vault were featured in the movie "Public Enemies," starring Johnny Depp as John Dillinger.  I never say it myself.


Nikon D7000 w/ Sigma 10-20mm lens, f4.5 at 1/160sec, ISO1600. © Andy Marfia 2012 All Rights Reserved.


Nikon D7000 w/ 16-85mm lens, f4.5 at 1/25sec, ISO800. © Andy Marfia 2012 All Rights Reserved.

A programming note: I took a lot of photos at Open House Chicago (over 300 on Saturday alone), and I also have photos from last year that I simply never got around to processing.  I think the sanest way to handle these is to deal with them one location at a time.  So this week was the Uptown Bank... next week or the week after or whenever I have time, I'll tackle something else.  Stay tuned.

Art Institute: Windows to Chicago

One of my favorite things about the Art Institute of Chicago-- aside from the wonderful artwork, of course-- is the way the museum interacts with the city around it.  I've taken photos in the past which show this from the exterior; I thought I'd try a few shots from inside the building on a recent visit:


Nikon D7000 w/ 16-85mm lens, 1/50sec at f4.5, ISO400. © Andy Marfia 2011 All Rights Reserved.

The shot above is from the southeast section.  It's one of my favorite stairways in the Art Institute, here intermixed with the Santa Fe Building and Michigan Ave.  I processed this so the staircase would be predominantly in silhouette, which I think accentuates the basic elements of the scene.


Nikon D7000 w/ 16-85mm lens, 1/640sec at f5.6, ISO800. © Andy Marfia 2011 All Rights Reserved.

This next photo is from the Modern Wing and shows some relatively new high rises in the South Loop.


Nikon D7000 w/ 16-85mm lens, 1/125sec at f5.6, ISO400. © Andy Marfia 2011 All Rights Reserved.

This third and final shot is from the wing that crosses over the old rail yards, and shows the Aon Center and other buildings to the north.  The white line in this picture is a break in the window shades.

Open House Chicago: Santa Fe Building

All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 and Sigma 10-20mm lens. © Andy Marfia 2011 All Rights Reserved.

Last weekend I attended Open House Chicago, an event hosted by the Chicago Architecture Foundation which allowed unique access to a variety of historic buildings free of charge.  The photos above were taken in one of the buildings I visited on Saturday-- the Santa Fe Building on Michigan and Jackson.

When I heard about Open House Chicago, one of the first things that I read on their web site was the description of the Goettsch Partners office on the 17th floor:

"Enjoy sweeping views of the city: lakefront, Grant Park, and the Loop through the building's unique porthole windows on the seventeenth floor at the Santa Fe building."

Oh, I thought, I'm definitely going to take some photos of that!  Here's a shot of the exterior to provide context:


Photo courtesy the Chicago Architecture Foundation.

If you're unfamiliar with the Santa Fe Building, it was built in 1904 by Frederick P. Dinkelberg of D. H. Burnham & Company.  It was originally known as The Railway Exchange Building due to its proximity to the rail yards east of Michigan Ave.  Aside from simply being an attractive building across from Grant Park, the Santa Fe is significant because Daniel Burnham reportedly made the 1909 Plan of Chicago in a penthouse office that sits on the northeast corner of the roof-- sadly, our tour for Open House Chicago did not include the penthouse.

More info on the Santa Fe: Wikipedia, Chicago Architecture Info, Encyclopedia of Chicago.

I'll be posting additional photos from Open House Chicago, here and on my flickr stream, over the next few weeks... or months... depending how quickly I get to them.

Photo of the Week: light & dark

I'm having a hard time picking a photo this week, so I'm just going to go with popular consensus on this one (ie: which photo has received the most views, comments, and favorites via my flickr account).  The winner is:


Nikon D7000 w/ 16-85mm lens, 1/640sec at f8, ISO400. © Andy Marfia 2011 All Rights Reserved.

That's Chicago's Trump Tower with the Mies van der Rohe designed IBM Building.  A nice architectural contrast, I think, as both are clad in glass and steel but are clearly from different eras-- Trump is just a few years old, where as IBM was build in 1969.

I lost a little bit of highlight detail in this one.  I left that as is in post processing, adjusting the shadows slightly to further exaggerate the contrast between the buildings.

Loyola Alumni Gym Follow Up

Nikon D7000 w/ 55-200mm lens, 1/400sec at f6.3, ISO200. Copyright 2011 Andy Marfia, All Rights Reserved.

I blogged back in May about how Loyola University was planning to demolish their historic Alumni Gym.  Not surprisingly, they've gone ahead with their plan, and I stopped by this week to take a few photos of the demolition.  The photo above shows the south wall of the building (still holding an American flag) through the pile of rubble.  Here's an overview:


Nikon D7000 w/ 16-85mm lens, 1/250sec at f8, ISO200. Copyright 2011 Andy Marfia, All Rights Reserved.

Leaving aside the architectural merits of this building, what I'm most struck by looking at this scene is just how wasteful it is to tear down a large structure.  The amount of energy used, raw material discarded and landfill space consumed-- is that really outweighed by whatever benefit is gained from a new building?  Certainly there are times when tearing something down makes sense, but I think as a society, if we truly care about things like environmental sustainability, our default first option should always be to adapt and reuse.

Garfield Park Conservatory Hail Damage

The Garfield Park Conservatory, a Chicago landmark on the West Side, was hit by golf ball sized hail on June 30th, which left the roofs of three of its houses severely damaged, and all 9 of its production houses.  I took these photos the week after the incident:



Amazing, the Conservatory is open to the public, but only 3 of the 7 display houses are currently accessible in addition to the outdoor gardens.  The 103 year old building is truly one of the unsung gems of Chicago.  My father used to take us here when we were kids, and I have fond memories of running through its maze like interior.  To a five year old, this place is massive.

Currently the Conservatory is accepting donations on its web site to help with the repairs.  As of this writing, they still don't know the exact cost, timeline, or to what extent insurance will help pay for the damage.

Aqua (Skyscraper) Abstracts

I have to admit, it's taken me a while to warm up to Aqua.  If you're unfamiliar, Aqua is one of Chicago's newest skyscrapers, located at 225 N Columbus Dr. and completed in 2009 as part of the Lakeshore East development.  It's 86 stories of luxury condos, apartments, and a hotel, but its main claim to fame is a series of curved, cantilevered balconies that cover just about the entire structure and give the building a unique, wavy appearance.  The word "undulating" keeps popping into my head.

The key to Aqua is, you have to walk around it, view it from different angles, and then walk right up to it.  From a distance I just don't find it that compelling a building.


Nikon D7000 w/ 16-85mm lens, 1/320sec at f9, ISO400. Copyright 2011 Andy Marfia.

But once you get up close, especially if the light is hitting it right, it really becomes a bizarre and fascinating creature:


Nikon D7000 w/ 16-85mm lens, 1/400sec at f9, ISO400. Copyright 2011 Andy Marfia.

Of course, it also helps if you have a decent zoom lens on your camera:


Nikon D7000 w/ 55-200mm Nikkor lens, 1/160sec f8, ISO800. Copyright 2012 Andy Marfia. Note: this photo was taken at a later date than the others in this set-- it replaces a previous version.


Nikon D7000 w/ 55-200mm Nikkor lens, 1/160sec f8, ISO800. Copyright 2011 Andy Marfia.

Another notable fact about Aqua: it was designed by Jeanne Gang and Chicago based Studio Gang Architects, and is the tallest building in the world to have a woman as lead architect, at 859 ft (262 m).  Neat.

Photo of the Week: Purple People Eater (Wrigley Field)

The difference between the Cubs and White Sox-- Jerry Reinsdorf may be a cheapskate, and sure, our ballpark is named after a cell phone company.  But paint the sign purple?  That's where we draw the line.

For those not from Chicago, this is Wrigley Field during the Northwestern vs Illinois game on November 20th, 2010.  This was the first football game in Wrigley since the Bears played there in 1970.  It appeared to be quite a successful event, even if it made the park look a little tacky (in my humble opinion).

Photo details: Nikon D7000 with 16-85mm lens, 1/100sec at f5.6 and ISO800.

Good grief: Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple vandalized

In one of the more ridiculous cases of theft or vandalism that I can remember, someone has stolen the copper lettering from Frank Lloyd Wright's historic Unity Temple in Oak Park.  This happened in the wee hours of the night between September 28th and 29th.  Who did it, I wonder?  A super sleuth team of architectural ninjas reselling artifacts on the black market?  No, based on an article in the Oak Park Journal, it was likely just someone looking for scrap.  I mean, I know times are tough and all, but seriously?  Scrap metal?


Photo by Yo Hibino via flickr.  Note: the lettering is still in place in this photo.

The congregation has yet to decide how best to replace the lettering or what the cost will be.  According to the article: "there's the question of what to restore them with. Should they bring back the original bronze, or replace them with a material that looks good, but is perhaps less appealing to criminals?"

I have an idea-- bring back the original bronze but also install a security camera somewhere near the property.  It's sad such a tactic is necessary for a house of worship, but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.

More information about the Unity Temple can be found on the congregation's web site or the all knowing Wikipedia.

Cook County Hospital Preserved

The Cook County board has justifiably received a lot of criticism in recent years, most notably in 2008 for raising the sales tax, giving Chicago the highest sales tax of any major city in the country.  One thing that I won't criticize them for is this-- On Tuesday, they voted unanimously to preserve the old Cook County Hospital building, approving $108 million in funding to adaptively rehab and convert the building into medical offices.  This is fantastic news.  The old hospital (which faces Harrison Street) is a real gem.  It's both architecturally and historically significant, not to mention being a bit of a pop culture icon (it was the basis for the television show ER and featured prominently in the movie The Fugitive).



For those unfamiliar with the Cook County saga, the building has been vacant since 2002, when John H. Stroger Hospital replaced it.  Old man Stroger (then county board President) tried to tear it down at the time, but was prevented from doing so after a public outcry from preservation groups and other members of the county board objected.  Since 2002, large sections of the hospital have seen the wrecking ball-- notably the rear wings, Children's Hospital, and power plant-- but the original 1913 building has been spared.  Now that the county has approved the funds to pay for its rehab, it finally appears to be safe.

Now, I'm not someone who believes that every single building should be saved, and I'm sure some will think this is a waste of money.  The County plans to pay for this, in part, with Tax Increment Financing (TIF) dollars, which isn't magic money-- it ultimately comes out of our pocket books.  That said, this is worth the cost.  If you can't get behind saving Cook County Hospital, then you really can't get behind saving anything.



Photo Notes: Both photos were taken with a Nikon D50 and 18-70mm lens in 2008.

Further Reading: Blair Kamin at the Chicago Tribune has a nice series of blog posts on this topic.

Photo of the Week: Mies Calder Sears

The Flamingo by Alexander Calder, in Federal Plaza, Chicago.  The Sears Tower is framed at the bottom and Mies van der Rohe's Kluczynski Federal Building is to the left.

I'm normally not a very efficient photographer.  I like to linger around my subjects, ponder them.  I'm rarely satisfied.  I'll take a dozen photos of a building or a scene, only to come home and realize that the first one was the best.  Or that they're all terrible.

This particular photo was an exception.  This was a blazing example of photographic efficiency.  I probably spent no more than a minute in Federal Plaza on this day.  I walked up to the Flamingo, knelt on one knee, pointed the camera skyward and fired off two or three photos.  After a quick check of the LCD screen, I was off to meet a friend at my next destination.  Of course, it helped that I had a good idea what I wanted to do here-- that is, to frame the Sears Tower under the Flamingo, and take advantage of the light coming from the west.  It also helped that I've photographed this subject before.  Still, I liked the efficiency.  It felt good for once.

Nikon D90 with 16-85mm lens (19mm for this shot), 1/400sec at f8 and ISO200.

Falling Water Lego

Looking for a perfect gift for that hard-to-buy-for architecture buff?  How about a Lego version of Frank Loyd Wright's famous Falling Water building:



Or, if you prefer a gift that's more Chicago themed, check out the John Hancock Center or Sears Tower Legos (and thank you Lego, for still calling it the Sears Tower!).  Sadly, there's no Pritzker Pavilion or Bean Legos as of this writing.  Dare to dream.

Update: In other Lego news: check out the LEGO CAMERA.

Photo of the Week: "huddle up"

This photograph was taken from the elevated platform at Dearborn and Van Buren.  The buildings in the shot, from left to right, are the Monadnock (1891–1893), the Fisher Building (1896), and the Old Colony Building (1893-94), the last of which was recently given a much needed cleaning.  The light pole in the center is part of the L platform.

I chose the title "huddle up" because I liked the idea that these three very old buildings were leaning in to have a conversation with each other, with the light pole as the quarterback in the middle.  That's pretty dorky, isn't it?

Nikon D90 with 16-85mm lens, 1/400sec at f10 and ISO400.  I had to dodge in the Monadnock just a touch, otherwise I didn't do a lot of post processing to this one.

The Purple Hotel

The Purple Hotel, on Touhy and Lincoln in Lincolnwood IL.  It's been closed since 2007 and probably would have been torn down by now if not for the collapse of the real estate market.  It's famous for a couple of reasons that have nothing to do with its unusual color.  It was the site of a mob hit in 1983 when Allen Dorfman was fatally shot seven times in the parking lot.  More recently, Stuart Levine (testifying in the Tony Rezko trial) claimed that he had participated in daylong drug parties at the hotel.  Fun times!

Depending on your taste, this is either a good or a bad example of 1960s modernism, but I rather like this building and find the purple facade strangely fascinating.  I drive by here periodically and finally decided to stop and take a few photos.





I used a Nikon D90 for all of these, with a Nikon 55-200mm lens for the first photo (zoomed to 200mm), and a 16-85mm lens for the second two.  I corrected a touch of barrel distortion in the second photo and also (mostly) straightened the perspective via Photoshop.  The third photo was, obviously, cropped square.

Trump Tower Crane Photography by Ken Derry

I happened to be flipping channels last night when I came across a story on Chicago Tonight about Ken Derry, a local tower crane operator & amateur photographer.  Ken spent 36 months working the tower crane for the construction of the Trump Tower and captured some truly unique images on the way up.  The whole set (over 500 photos) can be viewed at his smugmug account.  Here are two of my favorites:





He has quite a few photos like the second one, looking down at the city engulfed in clouds.  The Trump Tower rises over 1300 feet (including its spire), and is the second tallest building in Chicago after the Sears Tower.

Ken also took photos of the construction crew working on the tower, such as this one, which reminds me a little of Lewis Hine's photographs of the Empire State Building under construction in the 1930s.  Now, I don't want to push that comparison too far-- the Trump Tower is no Empire State Building.  Nonetheless, it's now part of the Chicago skyline and is going to be here for a very long time.  So will these photographs documenting its rise.

In the Chicago Tonight interview, Ken said that he plans to put out a coffee table book in the future.  In the meantime, please visit his smugmug site and buy one of these photographs if you like what you see here.