Chicago is synonymous with great architecture, boasting iconic buildings and a spectacular skyline. But if visitors only looked downtown, they would miss one of the most significant architectural neighborhoods that Chicago has to offer. Just a few miles south of the Loop on the University of Chicago campus, one can find incredible range of historic and contemporary buildings, featuring some of the world’s most forward-thinking architects. Frank Lloyd Wright, Henry Ives Cobb, Eero Saarinen, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Walter Netsch, Ricardo Legorreta, Rafael Viñoly, César Pelli, Helmut Jahn, Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, and many more have all left their indelible mark on the Hyde Park campus.
Building Ideas is a photographic exploration of these buildings, showing how the design of everything from libraries to cooling plants contributes to the university's intellectual life, and expands the boundaries of urban planning and architectural norms. Starting with the original gothic quadrangles, the book traces more than a century of the campus’s physical history. With exquisite details and insights from some of the architects themselves, Building Ideas offers an unprecedented look at a vibrant, influential, and endlessly interesting place.
Jay Pridmore is the author or coauthor of many books, including Chicago Architecture and Design, Shanghai: The Architecture of China’s Great Urban Center, and The American Bicycle. He has worked as a journalist in Chicago and has written extensively about architecture. Tom Rossiter is a registered architect and a fellow in the American Institute of Architects. He is an architectural photographer based in Chicago.