Open House Chicago

Chicago’s Open House 2018

Posted October 14, 2018 by carol.fletcher@rocketmail.com

This weekend was Chicago Open House, two days when more than 250 buildings are open to the public for a look-see.

Usually, my friend Dan and I go. We hike all over town to see a few of each of our short-listed sites. Last year it was pouring rain, and we concentrated on houses in the Prairie District. This year, Dan is in Spain (!!!) so I headed out alone with a long short-list that would take me from Edgewater to the Loop via Ukrainian Village. I managed to see six of my eight sites–sacrificing two when I dallied a bit longer than my schedule allowed.

Thankfully, the day was sunny, though cold. I laced up my shoes, dressed warm with layers and hit the road for the first of my many CTA bus / train rides of the day. First stop: That pink building along the lakefront in Edgewater…the Edgewater Beach Apartments.

Edgewater Beach Apartments

The apartments (in “sunset pink”) were built in 1928, as part of a resort hotel complex. The apartment building used to touch the beach, but lost its lake shore status when Lake Shore Drive rudely squeezed in between the complex and Lake Michigan. The hotel part of the complex was demolished in the early 70s. Today, the pink building smiles at the edge of the water, and saves an expanse of perfectly green grass for the neighbors to see–but not use.

*Edgewater Beach Apartments, looking North at the curve of the Maltese Cross design.*

*On the lawn looking north at the Edgewater Beach Apartments. This would have been the view from the demolished Edgewater Beach Hotel.*

The lawn of Edgewater Beach Apartments is to be seen but not used by neighbor buildings — *The lawn of Edgewater Beach Apartments is to be seen but not used by neighboring buildings.*

Garfield-Clarendon Model Railroad Club

Wow. That’s about all I can say. Wow! A room filled with at least a mile of tracks, running a bunch of exact-replica trains, through miniature to-scale villages–and it takes thirty minutes for the train to run the whole track. There are blinking lights, working railroad crossings, train sounds, hills, tunnels, and a bunch of railroad guys making sure it all runs without incident. I couldn’t have been more impressed. And I could have stayed there all day finding all the tiny details–like a truck tire in the midst of being changed, water from the fire department boat, swimmers, rows of farm crops, the Metra clanging sound…wow. Just wow.

*A conductor at the Garfield-Clarendon Model Railroad Club touches up the village.*

Trains pass by the parked Ringling Brothers train, and platforms full of tiny people at the Garfield-Clarendon Model Railroad Club. — Trains pass by the parked Ringling Brothers train (even the plastic animals should be free to go, you know), and platforms full of tiny people at the Garfield-Clarendon Model Railroad Club.

*The Metra clangs through the village at Garfield-Clarendon Model Railroad Club.*

Ukrainian Village and the Holy Trinity Cathedral

I made my way to Ukrainian Village for the churches. First up was the Louis Sullivan-designed 1903 church, the Holy Trinity Cathedral. Cathedral was too heavy of a name for this small and elegant space. I loved the scale here: a pew-less church, intimate, with warm light spilling onto the floor, and a dove over the main arch of the entrance. Of course, there were the icons and the candles too. But after sitting absorbing that amazing light, having a lovely conversation about Louis Sullivan and Richard Nickel with a deacon-docent, and watching Sergei pull the rope that rang the bell for me–“in the name of Jesus”–this place found a way into my heart.

The onion domes of Louis Sullivan's Holy Trinity Cathedral in Ukrainian Village Chicago. — *The onion domes of Louis Sullivan’s Holy Trinity Cathedral in Ukrainian Village Chicago.*

*Holy Water tank and funnel at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Ukrainian Village Chicago.*

A dove of peace Looking up as I entered the main room of Holy Trinity Cathedral. — *Looking up as I entered the main room of Holy Trinity Cathedral, the Dove of Peace.*

*The light streams into the main room of Holy Trinity Cathedral.*

Ukrainian Village: St. Nicolas Cathedral

What Holy Trinity had in intimacy, this place had in grandness. The chandelier boasts 480 lights, the gilded altar shines in the front, the stained glass reaches in from 13 onion domes touching the rows and rows of pews. What astounding beauty. So much so that it felt untouchable, and unreachable.

A few of St. Nicolas Cathedral's domes. — *A few of St. Nicolas Cathedral’s domes.*

*The grand and colorful St. Nicolas Cathedral in Ukrainian Village, Chicago.*

*Looking up at the 480-light chandelier in St. Nicolas Cathedral.*

Ukrainian Village: Saints Volodymyr & Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church

If Holy Trinity was too small, and St. Nicolas was too big, was this just right for Goldilocks? This church felt old on the inside, but was only from the 1970s. I was struck by the blues, the stained glass rainbows, and the 50 cent candle votives on either side of the altar…oh, and the incense spoon.

Saints Volodymyr & Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church's chandelier. — *Saints Volodymyr & Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church’s chandelier.*

*Votives in Saints Volodymyr & Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church.*

The incense burner, with an incense spoon in Saints Volodymyr & Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church. — *The incense burner, with an incense spoon at Saints Volodymyr & Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church.*

*50 cent votives in Saints Volodymyr & Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church.*

*Another set of 50 cent votives in Saints Volodymyr & Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church.*

Last stop: The Cliff Dwellers

After my day of seeing out-of-the-way places, it was a bit of a shock to have to wait for 20 minutes to get to the elevators for the Cliff Dwellers site. Yes, it was a great view of the Lake, Grant Park, and the only time I think I’ve had a good idea of the Art Institute’s footprint.

*The view of Sweet Home Chicago from the Cliff Dwellers place at 200 S. Michigan.*

Check out photos from the 2016 Open House Chicago and from the 2015 OHC. One of these days, I’ll post 2017’s Open House. Last year at this time, life was getting mobile. Stay tuned!

Details and patterns

Posted October 17, 2016 by carol.fletcher@rocketmail.com

Details make patterns. Choices make habits. Imagining makes art. Believing makes seeing.

It’s been a while since I went out to wander and photograph just for the sake of wandering and photographing. It felt good: stretching my legs, stretching my imagination and shaking off this long strange summer. This was the weekend at Open House Chicago 2016.

Sandstone held to a bell tower with metal band-aids and hair nets. The bell tower survived the Great Fire in 1871, and still wears the blackened crown to prove it. Saint James Episcopal Cathedral.

Six red galeros, hats of dead bishops, streaming from the ceiling of Holy Name Cathedral. Hanging high behind the crucifix carved from one large piece of balsam wood, they wait for the day they collapse to dust and nothingness and return to the ground.

Ornate chandeliers are turned down low to let the stained glass windows tell their bible stories in the 2nd floor chapel of Saint James Chapel at Archbishop Quigley Center.

Ivy climbs and clings to the detail on the Fourth Presbyterian Church on Michigan Avenue, in the morning shadow of the Hancock. And in this church, at long last we get to go upstairs to the balcony…and there’s a pipe organ, gentle at first and then lighting up the guests with a loud pounce.

The 5th place was an art house in an old mansion. Giant windows, rimmed in dark wood. Pocket doors and white marble fireplaces in every room. Studios for rent and live models seven days a week. An open studio on the 3rd floor smelled of oil paint as I rounded the final set of stairs up. The old floors were for dancing when this was a home and this level housed a ballroom. Now the wood floors showed wear from drops of paint as artists made their art. At this moment, they were sans model, but they worked as if she were still there. An imaginary model. Cross breezes fluffed papers from the transom windows along the floor where the band used to sit.

The Monroe Building, with Rookwood tiles, and tiles, and tiles, and a working mail chute for the 14-story building. This building and the one across the street, on the north side of Monroe at Michigan stand like sentinels, equal sized gate posts, greeting traffic entering Chicago on what used to be the main thoroughfare.

The chapel in the sky at the Chicago Temple. The highest place of worship above street level. Twenty two floors via elevator, then A through E floors via a cozy elevator, then 31 steps up to this tiny little Sky Chapel. Stained glass windows line the room and limit views of the sky and the surrounding city. The wood is ash, preserved forever from the Emerald Ash Borers that have killed so many trees in the Midwest.

Bell Tower details St. James Episcopal Cathedral — Sandstone held to a bell tower with metal band-aids and hair nets. The bell tower survived the Great Fire in 1871, and still wears the blackened crown to prove it. Saint James Episcopal Cathedral.

Holy Name Cathedral galeros — Six red galeros, hats of dead bishops, streaming from the ceiling of Holy Name Cathedral. Hanging high behind the crucifix carved from one large piece of balsam wood, they wait for the day they collapse to dust and nothingness and return to the ground.

Saint James Chapel at Archbishop Quigley Center stained glass windows — Ornate chandeliers are turned down low to let the stained glass windows tell their bible stories in the 2nd floor chapel of Saint James Chapel at Archbishop Quigley Center.

Fourth Presbyterian Church ivy — Ivy climbs and clings to the detail on the Fourth Presbyterian Church on Michigan Avenue

Fourth Presbyterian Church Michigan Avenue — The pipe organ rings out at the Fourth Presbyterian Church on Michigan Avenue

Marble fireplace detail Palette & Chisel — Marble fireplace mantel detail from Palette & Chisel.

palette & chisel live model art studio — Palette & Chisel artists taking a break in the 3rd floor ballroom studio

palette and chisel chicago model art studio — Palette & Chisel: Imagination.

Monroe Building Chicago rook wood tiles — The Monroe Building, with Rookwood tiles, and tiles, and tiles. Muted earth tones in the foyer, just waiting to wow you when you go through those doors.

The Monroe Building Rookwood details make patterns — The Monroe Building, with Rookwood tiles, and tiles, and tiles.

The Chapel in the Sky Chicago Temple — The chapel in the sky at the Chicago Temple. The wood is ash, preserved forever from the Emerald Ash Borers that have killed so many trees in the Midwest.

Stenciling on ceiling of Chicago Temple — Chicago Temple ceiling stenciling.

Details…They don’t make them like they used to!

Posted October 19, 2015 by carol.fletcher@rocketmail.com

At this year’s Open House Chicago, sponsored by the Chicago Architecture Foundation, I went to see the interiors of buildings not normally open to the public. And what struck me most were the rich details…the ornate little extras, little treats for the eyes built in to the old spaces.

Whatever happened to those days of craftsmanship? When those little flourishes mattered? Now it seems that buildings are mundane. Character has disappeared in favor of efficiency, productivity, mass production and bottom lines.

Nope. They don’t make ’em like they used to!