Author: Jackie Craven

Inside the Rookery

Jackie Craven 0 Comment USA: Illinois , ,
The Rookery in Chicago

A whirlwind tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Chicago is likely to take you to the majestic Rookery Building on LaSalle Street, in the center of the financial district. With steel frame engineering, elaborate ironwork, and a grand oriel staircase, the building conveys elegance and solidity. But, how much of the design belongs to Wright?

The Lobby details added in 1905 are Wright’s, but the building itself grew from the genius of two earlier masters, John Wellborn Root and Daniel H. Burnham.

Begin your journey:  Inside the 1888 Rookery Building >

Photo copyright Steve Estes / all rights reserved

See History Mirrored at Versailles

Jackie Craven 0 Comment France
Versailles Hall of Mirrors

A trip to Paris is not complete without a day at the Palace of Versailles, just 20 minutes from the City via the RER C local train line.

The lavish Hall of Mirrors shown here defined the French Baroque style with large curved forms, twisted columns, and trompe l’oeil paintings. But, perhaps even more fascinating than its architecture is the complicated history that took place within the gilded walls.

See:
The Power of Place – Architecture, War, and Memory – Americans at Versailles Palace

Photo: La Grande Galerie des Glaces (Hall of Mirrors), Chateau de Versailles. Image by Myrabella (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons