WBEZ | Architecture

Architect’s Pilsen vision is green and fashion friendly

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:23:00 -0500

Architect Patricia Saldaña Natke grew up on the 4800 block of South Marshfield Avenue, in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood. Her parents, immigrants from Mexico, worked in the Stockyards.

Some days after school, Saldaña Natke would take the bus away from her aging, blue collar neighborhood with its bungalows and smoke stacks, up to the Loop, and marvel at the sparkling skyscrapers and expansive public parks in the city’s downtown.

“I would look at the beautiful buildings and wonder why those kinds of spaces weren’t in existence where I lived,” Saldaña Natke recalled. “That’s the reason I became an architect; I felt that public places should be the greatest in the area of most need.”

Saldaña Natke channeled those beliefs into UrbanWorks, the architecture and planning firm she founded, which specializes in socially and environmentally conscious planning and design work -- the kind she dreamed about as a kid. She’s set her sights on one Chicago hood in particular: Pilsen.

“[Pilsen] needs to be a place where people can move upward in mobility,” Saldaña Natke said. “The entire core of why I work in Pilsen comes to the fact that there are neighborhoods that need a lot of attention.”

UrbanWorks’ previous Pilsen projects include a college dormitory intended to help keep students from the neighborhood on the path to academic success, a high school designed to resemble the copper canyons of Mexico and Saldaña Natke’s most ambitious project: a master plan for Pilsen.

In architecture and planning circles, a master plan is a grand vision for the future development of a neighborhood.

“It’s much more than a wish list,” Saldaña Natke said. “It may be implemented slightly different than the plan shows, but the core of it should remain intact.”

This plan isn’t funded, but Saldaña Natke is working with 25th Ward Alderman Danny Solis and the Department of Housing and Economic Development to assemble funds to inch her vision along.

Saldaña Natke consulted with Pilsen residents in a series of community meetings, including a neighborhood-wide meeting at Providence of God Catholic Church in 2004. The resulting plan aims to build on Pilsen’s assets: its strong Mexican cultural heritage, its historic architecture.

“The community says church steeples are its high rises,” Saldaña Natke said.

It calls for a main commercial drag zoned for pedestrian use and access to the Chicago River.

The plan also addresses what Saldaña Natke says are the neighborhood’s challenges: While the west side of Pilsen is served by the CTA’s Pink, Green and Orange Lines, the east side has few transportation options, leaving the neighborhood disconnected.

And, there is a surprising lack of green space in Pilsen. According to Saldaña Natke, the city requires two acres of green space for every 1,000 Chicago residents.

“But the Park District just said to us that the recommended amount is four acres of green space,” she said. “[Pilsen] is over 18 acres short.”

So, UrbanWorks’ master plan starts there. Saldaña Natke envisions more green space along the neighborhood’s largely industrial waterfront, and the transformation of an abandoned, surface-level railway that runs along Sangamon Street into a stretch of park—something like New York’s High Line or the Northwest Side’s Bloomingdale Trail, only without the elevation. Then, she hopes to transform the abandoned buildings that line the railroad into a fashion and textile incubator.

A fashion incubator?

Yes, Saldaña Natke says.

“You shouldn’t need to go to 900 North Michigan or Michigan Avenue to see all the high-end fashion shows. Why can’t it be in the neighborhoods?”

You can hear Saldaña Natke describe her dream in more detail in the audio above.

Dynamic Range showcases hidden gems unearthed from Chicago Amplified’s vast archive of public events and appears on weekends. Patricia Saldana Natke spoke at an event presented by the Chicago Architecture Foundation in April of 2013. Click here to hear the event in its entirety.

Robin Amer is a producer on WBEZ’s digital team. Follow her on Twitter @rsamer.

From 1989: PBS documentary on Harold Washington Library competition

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 -0500

For several months in 1988, the competition to design the Harold Washington Library was the talk of the city.

The new downtown library not just a place for books, but an architectural gut check: Would America's first city of architecture pick a daring design? Or would Chicago—in the wake of the cost overruns at the then-new State of Illinois Building and the McCormick Place west addition (or out of sheer timidity)— select the safe and familiar?

In 1989, PBS' Nova series took a look at the competition in an episode called "Design Wars," seen in an edited version in the video above. The program explored the five teams each headed by architects Dirk Lohan, Thomas Beeby, SOM, Helmut Jahn and Arthur Erickson of Canada that sought the commission. Each architect was paired with a real estate developer to assure the design could be built for $140 million price tag.

Each submittal was profoundly different. Beeby's design won, of course, and the building was completed in 1991.

Watching "Design Wars" a quarter century later, there is much to note. The camera pan at the beginning of the video reveals a skyline east of Michigan Avenue that looks remarkably barren now. At 0:16, architecture historian Bob Bruegmann in a stroll along the riverwalk that once ran next to the old Chicago Sun-Times Building at 401 N. Wabash Ave. nicely explains why architecture is so important here. SOM's computer modeling at 2:00 is also worth a look. So is the scene with architects damning each other's designs with the faintest of praise at 3:38.

Broadcaster and civic leader Norman Ross chaired the design jury. His critique of each design at 7:27 is both erudite and devastating—as is architect Stanley Tigerman's assessment of Beeby's design at the end.

What do you think of the design—then and now? Back then, I rooted for Erickson's design. Looking at it now, I'm far less impressed. In "Design Wars," Ross said a juror thought the building resembled "a Houston or Marin County shopping center." It does. Take a look at the video and leave your comments below.

Congregation mulls yielding ownership of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed church

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 -0500

Updated at 11:06am

Ownership of Oak Park's Unity Temple could be transferred from its long-time congregation to an organization that would be responsible for maintaining the church, according to a $10 million deal aimed at restoring the internationally-recognized Frank Lloyd Wright structure.

According to an email sent to the congregation Tuesday evening by the Unitarian Universalist congregation's board of Trustees, Chicago's Alphawood Foundation would donate $10 million toward the restoration of the 105-year-old building, 875 Lake St. In addition, Alphawood would work to help restructure the 40-year-old Unity Temple Restoration Foundation or "create a new preservation organization to manage fundraising, restoration, and preservation of Unity Temple as well as public programming and tours," according to the email, a copy of which was obtained by this blog late Tuesday.

But the plan is conditional. In order for the ownership transfer to be enacted, the church's current restoration campaign must raise 80% of the total funding needs, plus an endowment to maintain the building. The Alphawood funds would count toward the total. In the email, church leaders said the full restoration costs were still being analyzed but added the amount "is likely to be substantially more than the combined total of the proposed Alphawood gift and any contribution the Congregation makes."

The congregation would continue using the building under the plan but the deal "may help free us from the demands and expense of managing and caring for our historic building thus allowing us to focus on the Congregation's mission and long-term space needs," the email said. In a statement issued Wednesday morning, Alphawood Executive Director Jim McDonough said his organization is "delighted that our gift will be an important first step toward the restoration and preservation of this international landmark."

"For over 100 years we have made this wonderful building our spiritual home, gathering for worship, major life events, and community activities." Ian Morrison, president of the congregation's board of trustees, said in the joint statement with Alphawood. "Wright designed the building for us and it embodies many of our values.We are proud to continue using it for its intended purposes.”

The founder and chairman of Alphawood Foundation is Chicago businessman Fred Eychaner, CEO of Newsweb Corporation and owner of AM radio station WCPT. Eychaner is also an architecture aficionado who lives in a sleek North Side home designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando.

Built in 1908, the blocky reinforced concrete church is National Historic Landmark and is one of Wright's best-known buildings.The architect himself called it "my contribution to modern architecture." But Unity Temple's 16 separate flat roofs and a gutterless drainage system designed by Wright has made the building historically susceptible to water damage. The National Trust for Historic Preservation put the church on its 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list in 2008. The building is one of 25 structures Wright designed in Oak Park.

The congregation was invited to discuss the plan at a church meeting Sunday.

Chicago diners, side of extra crispy stories

Tue, 14 May 2013 18:12:00 -0500

The Slinger. The Jumpball. The Garbage Plate. The Deuces Wild RIP.

If you’re a regular at Chicago-area diners, you may know that these are the names of some legendary signature specials. And if you don’t yet, you’re in for a treat because Curious Citizen Rachel Kimura asked us:

"Where are the area's oldest diners and what are their stories?"

Rachel elaborated: "I love going to diners where it is evident that the waitresses and cooks have been around forever and probably have many stories to tell. I love that diners are a place where families, blue-collar workers, elderly couples, and hung-over twenty somethings can eat together."

Me too, Rachel. When Curious City creator and producer Jennifer Brandel asked if I’d investigate the question, I said (paraphrasing), Heck yeah.

I wrote, “I'm a lifelong fan of diners, thanks to the only grandfather I ever knew, the late, great Frank Hugh. I remember three of his diners vividly. One was an actual old railroad dining car parked just west of my great-grandfather's laundry on Grand Avenue.”

OK, so back to Rachel’s question(s): Old? Check. Thanks to domu’s terrific list of vintage Chicago restaurants.

But how do we define a diner? As I wrote previously, our friends at Chicagoist happened to have listed their favorite diners recently. With all due respect, not all their favorites are diners — at least not in my book.

After a Waffle Combo Meal with two eggs over easy, ham, hash browns and coffee at Cozy Corner Restaurant and Pancake House in Chicago (the Kelvyn Park location, not the 1977 original Logan Square location) I came to a decision. How will we define a diner?

I know it when I see it.

A detour, for the sake of comparison

But first, I had to go off to Asia for work, which actually helped further define our diner parameters.

In Shanghai, I went on a futile search for the Four Heavenly Kings: dabing (Chinese pancake), youtiao (Chinese fry bread), steamed sticky rice ball and soy milk. This was once the most common breakfast order on land first settled in the 5th century, in the most populous city in the world. But, I was told repeatedly, it’s old fashioned street food that they didn’t have. Would I like tea or caffè latte instead?

In Singapore I made my way to the original 1919 location of Killiney Kopitiam, the oldest coffee shop in the Southeast Asian city-state-island country. Their specialty is a thick crust version of the national breakfast: kaya toast with soft cooked eggs, and coffee.

So after a global diner race against a ticking clock, I further refined our diner parameters: They would be diners on an endangered species list. And perhaps they could represent us on the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list. Some are more “endangered” than others, and one is, in fact, extinct.

1920s to 1950s Pullman Rail Journeys

But before we tell some of the stories of the area’s oldest diners, we need to visit the origin story. Luckily history had pulled into the station. At Chicago’s Amtrak yard we visited some of the original Pullman train cars, which date between the ‘20s and ‘50s. There, we spoke with executive chef Daniel Traynor and head steward Jason Makor as they prepared to depart for New Orleans. George Pullman established his eponymous company in 1862. Traynor has researched Pullman culinary history and explained that every line had a signature French toast. Pullman bread, the dense, crumbed white bread still baked in a lidded metal pan, was invented to fit in tight train galleys. Makor to this day recreates the meticulous table settings; in particular, he uses doilies for every compartmentalized dish, as Pullman himself dictated until his death in 1897. Traynor explained that dining cars once connected farmers, local food producers, diners, and chefs. These dining cars also contributed to a long-term trend; the cars were self-contained, meaning they could operate as free-standing restaurants. So when dining cars went out of commission, some became the diners we know today.

1926 Franks Diner in Kenosha, Wisconsin

Husband and wife owners Julie Rittmiller and Kevin Ervin clarified a common misconception about Franks: It is not, in fact, a repurposed railroad diner car. In 1926 Greek immigrant Anthony Franks bought the brand new restaurant from Jerry O'Mahony Inc., "Lunch Car Builders," in Bayonne, N.J. It was shipped on rail flat car (hence its design), and it was filled with dishware and flatware, too. Julie showed us the original bread box which will be refurbished and displayed. She said the diner is haunted by an unknown female ghost who — late one night — blew open a storeroom door. This, it turned out, was helpful, mostly because Julie’s hands happened to be full at the time. Franks special: the Garbage Plate.

1933 Moon’s Sandwich Shop, Chicago

Let’s address the elephant in the room. Moon’s opened in 1933 and was named for its former moonshiner owners. In its current building since 1947, you may notice most everyone in the room — in front of the counter, as well as behind it — is African-American. Except perhaps for a few longtime regulars and owner Jim Radek, who’s a cross between Bruce Willis and Al Pacino. Radek, a former regular due to his work as a neighborhood police officer, told us the harrowing tale of one rough day. Nearly two dozen locals chased a guy into Moon’s, or rather to its threshold. Radek told them they couldn’t continue the pursuit because Moon’s was a sanctuary. Like church. And so it was and remains to this day. Moon’s special: the Jumpball.

1937 Diner Grill, Chicago

Open 24 hours a day since 1937 (“March 15 8AM,” to be precise, according to the original framed black and white photo behind the counter). Managers Ricardo Hernandez (days) and Kenny Coster (nights) have been working the grill for 12 and 11 years, respectively. The restaurant is an old trolley car and sits at the end of its former trolley line. The busiest hours are between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. Ricardo once worked the night shift himself and says he doesn’t know how Kenny still does it. Kenny says he’s had to talk would-be pole dancers down during their night of revelry. While passing out is not encouraged, they do let diners sleep it off, presumably if they can stay perched on the stools. Diner Grill’s special: the Slinger.

1960 Ohio House Coffee Shop, Chicago

While the coffee shop dated back 53 years, owner Cathy Roquemore was there about 30. Cathy served the last Deuces Wild on Sunday, April 28, 2013. After more than three decades behind the counter, she was given 30 days to vacate. Cathy started out as an employee — the only employee, actually. The former owner, a drinking buddy of her husband’s, came to her house and said, “Cathy, I need you!” She bought the place herself when her husband died. She said she was going to take a two-week break then decide what to do next. Regulars can find Cathy, former waitress Kim Jurgensen, and each other on their Facebook page, Save the Ohio House Coffee Shop. Ohio House Coffee Shop special: Deuces Wild RIP.

A big thanks to Chicago’s most notable diner owners and managers who also took the time to chat:

1923 Lou Mitchell’s manager Heleen Thanas
1938 Palace Grill owner George Lemperis
1939 White Palace Grill owner George Liakopoulos
1947 Silver Palm owner David Gevercer

When I started investigating Rachel’s diner question, I’d written, “I will be carrying my own personal bottle of real maple syrup, and my own thermally insulated whipped cream.”

I didn’t. Because that wouldn’t have been nice. And one of the rules at diners: Be nice or leave. Pass me the pancake syrup, because I’d like to stay and hear some more stories.

Follow Louisa Chu @louisachu.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the name of the company that Anthony Franks bought his restaurant from. The company's name is Jerry O'Mahony Inc., "Lunch Car Builders," of Bayonne, N.J.

City wrecks an 1890s apartment house

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:00:00 -0500

The Sheridan apartments at 71st Street and Cottage Grove Avenue—across from Oak Woods Cemetery—had been an unofficial landmark of the Greater Grand Crossing community since Benjamin Harrison was president.

But after more than 120 years, the long-vacant dilapidated three-story brick building with prominent bay windows is now being wrecked by the city under court order. Demolition equipment has ripped away the west side of the Sheridan as of today, exposing its interior.

The Sheridan's demolition had been under an automatic 90-day review because the building is listed in the city's Historic Resources Survey as having potential landmark qualities, but the hold was released April 25. A city spokesman had no information on site's future, but here's hoping something gets in the works soon. Too much of the South Side is vanishing under the wrecker's ball, leaving large tracts of undeveloped land in neighborhoods like Greater Grand Crossing returning to prairie. And less than 10 miles from downtown Chicago.

Add the senseless and ongoing violence to the mix and the symbolism of the Sheridan's demolition is jarring. Once the building is razed, its intersection will be marked by a vacant lot, a police station and a cemetery.

Built between 1890 and 1891 on the six-corner intersection of 71st, Cottage Grove and South Chicago avenues, the 16-unit structure is a remnant of the residential building boom in the years surrounding the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition held in nearby Jackson Park.

Here's a photo I took of the Sheridan last year when the building was relatively intact:

The Sheridan has been vacant since the mid-1990s. The city filed suit in 2008 to get the owners--who had attempted to convert the place into condominiums--to repair the property after inspectors found fire damage, rotting wood porches, crumbling brickwork, holes in floors, shifting exterior walls and evidence of squatters in the building. Heating, plumbing and electrical systems were also stripped out, a city building inspector testified. The demolition case made it all the way to the Illinois Appellate Court. The court ruled in favor of the city this year and you can read the file here.

South Shore resident Maurice Rabb has watched the building for years.

"I remember eyeing the building as a kid in the '70s and '80s every time I came up South Chicago Avenue with my mom," Rabb said. "It was an odd, yet handsome building [and] I always wondered whom might have lived there."

Sears to shut two of its oldest stores: What should be the buildings' fate?

Thu, 09 May 2013 05:00:00 -0500

A year ago almost to the day, I wrote in this space: "Hey Sears: I passed your East 79th Street store a few days ago. From the front, I couldn't tell if the store was open or closed..."

That was May 8, 2012. There's no wondering anymore. "Store Closing Sale" signs have now appeared in the window of the Sears department store, 1334 E. 79th St. Built in 1925, the long, two-story beige brick building with an iconic tower that can been seen for blocks is set to close in July. Designed from plans by architect George C. Nimmons, the store has been a fixture for almost 90 years.

In addition to the 79th Street store in the above photo, the Sears at 62nd and Western, built in 1928 in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood will also close. The two establishments are among the oldest stand-alone department stores Sears built, representing the retailer's expansion from a purely mail-order house--a World War I-era Amazon.com--to a 20th century retail giant. Sears' first stand-alone department store, built in 1925 at 1900 W. Lawrence, will remain open. A 1966 Sears store in Calumet City's River Oaks Mall will close next month.

Here is the Chicago Lawn community store:

Sears isn't saying much about the closings or the buildings' future, which should raise concern, given the company has been as bad steward of Nimmons' elegant building – even during financially good times.

The company blacked out the windows on the three-story front elevation of the Chicago Lawn store years ago, giving the building a blank-eyed look along Western Avenue. On 79th Street the sins were worse: Sears bricked over virtually all of the two-story building's windows and shaved off projecting cornices, turning Nimmons' glassy and collegiate building into a bunker.

The clumsy alterations muddle-up the architect's intent and thus works against any idea to preserve the buildings for architectural reasons. For urban planning reasons, though, the stores should be kept and reused because neither neighborhood would benefit from them being demolished.

But how might the buildings be reused? Let's have a discussion – and any remembrances of these Sears stores--in the comments section below.

Ivy: Photo of the Day - May 8, 2013

Wed, 08 May 2013 10:31:00 -0500

Chicago on Fire: Photo of the Day - May 7, 2013

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:35:00 -0500

Is David Adjaye Obama's favorite architect?

Mon, 06 May 2013 05:00:00 -0500

Here's a look at David Adjaye, one of the lead architects of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture now under construction on the historic Washington D.C. National Mall.

The 4:45 minute video comes courtesy of the United Kingdom's Crane.tv, a video magazine that examines culture, art, design and fashion. The Tanzanian-born UK Adjaye—who also has offices in New York City—discusses the $500 million museum and how he approached the project.

"The struggle and the blood that was spilt by this extraordinary people has firstly shaped a kind of a unique country in the world—and, actually shaped the world," the 46-year-old leader of Adjaye Associates said.

His design partners in the project are the Freelon Group, Davis Brody Bond and the SmithGroup.

And then there's this: At a state dinner last year honoring British Prime Minister David Cameron, Adjaye and wife Ashley Shaw-Scott had a seat at the head table with President Barack Obama. The party of 21 included Warren Buffett, George Clooney and Michelle Obama.

The appearance helped feed speculation that Adjaye would be the president's pick as architect of the future Obama presidential library. In response to an Architectural Record story in March on his purported involvement the proposed library—and also citing the British press' reference to Obama's fandom—Adjaye wrote: "I have no involvement in such a project and I take issue with the misleading nature of this piece." But added: "Obviously, if in the future there was such an opportunity – we would be delighted and honoured to be considered."

Old North Side firehouse up for sale: City wants art or commerce there

Fri, 03 May 2013 05:00:00 -0500

The city this week has begun seeking reuse proposals for a former Chicago firehouse.

Under the city's request, issued Wednesday, the ornate two-story firehouse, 5720 N. Ridge, could be reused as "a commercial and/or not-for-profit development focusing on arts, recreation or culinary activities that are open to the public." In other words: A nice place to visit, but you couldn't want to live there. "Residential uses will not be considered," a summary of the requests states.

Other forbidden uses include gas stations, payday loan establishments, currency exchanges, liquor stores or pawn shops. The building is also a protected city landmark.

Built in 1929, the building was the home of Chicago Fire Department Engine Company 59, Truck 47. Firefighters there moved to a new facility at 6030 N Clark St in 2008. The retired firehouse is among a cluster of vacant city-owned properties now up for sale including the 88-year-old former Stock Yards National Bank, 4146 S. Halsted; the tattered Ramova Theater near 35th and Halsted and more.

The target price for the Ridge firehouse is $360,000, although price is not seen as a minimum bid by the city. An open house for prospective bidders will be held May 21. Responses are due August 1. The city's RFP can be read here. The document includes more photos of the building, zoning maps, historic images of the old firehouse in action and an 1928 architectural rendering.