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Thoroughly Modern Mies
Sunday Jun 10, 2007.
By Kate Rockwood
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 photo: Kate Rockwood So with another afternoon of surfing the internet and sipping lattes looming ahead, I booked it downtown for one of the Chicago Architecture Foundation tours. I brought with me a pair of warm mittens (the two-hour tour is held mainly outdoors), distant memories of a college architecture course and the least-whiny friend I could muster (did I mention the cold?). Turns out, between briskly walking and gawking at buildings, the two hours were up just as my fingers were starting to ache for a warm cup of cocoa. Sign me up: The Modern Skyscrapers walking tour is hands-down one of the most popular tours offered through the Chicago Architecture Foundation. The two-hour tours are held at 1 p.m. every day but Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's; from May to September a 5:30 p.m. Friday "happy hour" tour is added to the schedule. Tickets cost $14; $11 for students and seniors and reservations are recommended. Sites you'll see: German emigre Mies van der Rohe left his steel-and-glass thumbprint on the city in a major way, ushering in modernism in all its sexy, symmetrical beauty. The tour kick-starts at the Federal Plaza before making a neck-craning circle down Dearborn to Lake and then finishing on LaSalle. On the walk you'll receive rough and tumble lessons on spotting modernism and post-modernism while ogling buildings such as Chase Plaza, One South Dearborn, Citadel Center and the James R. Thompson Center. Golden nugget: "If so far we've been looking at symphonies, this is like heavy metal," our guide said of the James R. Thompson Center, which resembles something between a glass Jello mold and a balloonish wedding cake. Aside from scoring an eyeful of this explosion of design, we also learned some of the reasoning behind the building's quirkier features: the elevators with see-through mechanical parts symbolize the transparency of the government building and the rectangular columns along the site's perimeter pay respect to the straight perimeter of the building's neighbors. Who's da guide: Hardcore is probably the easiest way to sum up the 400 docents that show Chicagoans what their city is really made of. Before donning their badges these volunteers undergo a year and a half of intense training, meaning almost any question you lob at them ("When did Chicago start allowing branch banking?") is answered with aplomb. Besides his encyclopedic knowledge of all things second city, our guide was also eager to show us the aerial photos and design sketches that he carried around to give us a fuller view than the one we were getting from the ground. Fuel your tank: The tour keeps a brisk pace, making stopping for snacks nearly impossible, but feel free to pack a water bottle or a piece of fruit. After the tour you can stop in at the Atrium for a cup of warm-me-up cocoa. Snooze-fest or eye-opener: It makes sense that people don't normally walk around with their faces tilted toward the sky, but it's a pity all the same. Chicago's architecture is even prettier when studied up close than when it's seen while driving down Lake Shore and this tour makes the buildings really pop. Even locals will learn: Chase Tower, with its wide first floor and swooping sides that form a narrow tower, is actually an example of form follows function. The building was built before the city allowed branch banking, meaning the ground floor hosted the only retail spot for the bustling First National Bank while the upper floors were reserved for much smaller offices. Lean back against one of the columns and look up and the building will seem to bend back out at the top, an optical illusion caused by the curve. Check out www.architecture.org for more information or to purchase tour tickets online.
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