A View from the River: The Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise

by Jennifer Marjorie Bosch, Jay Pridmore, Chicago Architecture Foundation Staff (Contribution by)

To see what's up in Chicago, come down to the river. Float along the Main Branch for views of Lake Point Tower and Marina City, up the North Branch to the condo-converted Montgomery Ward Catalog House, then down the South Branch to take in the soaring Sears Tower. This book, a companion to the Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise, is your guide to the buildings that make downtown Chicago world famous for architecture and infrastructure. During the past two hundred years, engineers and architects designed twin engineering marvels, the Chicago skyline and the Chicago River. Dredged, straightened, its direction reversed, the river flowed a varied course through the city's history, as Chicagoans built factories, civic structures, waterside homes and parks, and the world's tallest steel-and-glass monuments to big business. The story of Chicago is the story of its river. A View from the River spotlights over fifty buildings, recounting an urban tale that continues to unfold.

Genres: Architecture, Nonfiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A virtual tour of downtown Chicago via the Chicago River, this book developed by the Chicago Architecture Foundation provides beautiful pictures and brief descriptions of the buildings and history of the area. A nice tribute to the beautiful city of Chicago.

[Steven Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my! I just attended a professional conference in Chicago, and stayed at a Sheraton right on the Chicago River. One day, I took one of the scenic boat rides, to get an introduction to Chicago architecture from the river level. And what a trip it was!

I enjoyed seeing the juxtaposition of classic versus contemporary architecture (the Trump Tower right next to the Wrigley Building), the Montgomery Ward building, Willis (formerly Sears) Tower, and so on. Skyscrapers that were engineered so as to reflect other buildings on their shiny sides. This book brought those views back to me.

The book is divided into three parts--the main branch of the river, the north branch, and, finally, the south branch. There is a (too) brief introduction to the river and its history. But it is the view that is at the heard of this book. The photographs are attractive and we get a brief description of a series of buildings.

Examples from the main branch: Lakeshore East, Aon Center, Melas Centennial Fountain, University of Chicago Gleacher Center, the Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower, Trump Tower, and Marina City,among others. The North Branch: Residences at Riverbend, Kinzie Park, River Bank Lofts, Montgomery Ward Complex, etc. The South Branch? 225 West Wacker, Civic Opera Building, the Mercantile Exchange, Willis (once upon a time, Sears) Tower, and so on.

For those who enjoy Chicago's architecture, a nice view from the river!

[Miriam Tait · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures, and short histories behind some of the most iconic buildings of the Chicago skyline and riverfront.

[Sarah left GR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically a mini-coffee table book. Checked it out from the library because the photos came from Hedrich Blessing. Wanted to see if any of my guys* were in the photo credits. A few were! The Bobs (Harr, Porth & Shimer) were all represented.

*HB photographers from the 1970s.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully photographed essay on the buildings along the Chicago River. This is a great memento of the tour and a great reference for architects.