Time Lapse Video Shows One Iconic Architecture Group's Chicago History
By Lisa White in News on Apr 14, 2015 2:25PM
Chicago's iconic skyline is recognizable around the world. The Sears/Willis/Whatever they're calling it these days and the John Hancock Center are not only major tourist attractions but also one of the first buildings that identify Chicago as home when we're driving or flying into town. These skyscrapers are solitary creatures, and it isn't always clear to much of the public that a few architectural firms are the teams tasked with bringing our skyline to life. One of the more recognizable groups, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, have been designing a dizzying array of towering towers for a long time and to celebrate their mark on Chicago, they created a time lapse video to show just how much of our city is a SOM-designed town.
Since 1936, SOM has completed over 650 projects in Chicago, 75 of which are located within the city's downtown core....
Posted by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP on Friday, April 10, 2015
Chicago has the largest collection of SOM-designed buildings, which is fitting since the firm is based here. As they point out, over 650 projects have been completed by them in our city, with 75 located in the downtown area alone. The time lapse animation, which was created by their computational design team, shows the growth of our city from 1936 until 2014 and highlights the buildings that SOM have contributed to our skyline over the years. And what are some of their iconic projects? Well to start, they're responsible for the Sears Willis Tower and the John Hancock Center, the crowning jewels of height in our city. Other notable projects by them include the Regenstein Library at University of Chicago, NBC Tower, the Inland Steel building and the love it or hate it Trump International Hotel and Tower.