About McCormick Place: What Blair Kamin says about brutally interrupting wide-open spaces (“The Art of Criticism,” May 31) is certainly true, but as a basically civic structure, the building does indeed say quite a lot about Chicago design.
I see a blend of the styles of Frank Lloyd Wright (the exaggerated overhang of the roof) and Mies van der Rohe (austere lines and lack of ornamentation). In this context it seems to be an appropriate design for a building that is, after all, a functional bazaar for world commerce. Likewise, “Bat Column,” another controversial piece, with its steel structural design and heavy symbolism (two baseball teams and the home of 16-inch softball) evokes an aspect of Chicago (competition, playfulness, vigor), which I find to be quite appropriate and endearing.
The contrast between the old and new McCormick Places I also find interesting. In the new structure, the architect has softened the Mies austerity and created a much more inviting facade. It is in this direction, Wright’s natural expression manifested in form (there are no straight lines in nature) if not in material which I, personally, find intriguing.
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