architecture history Archives - Page 8 of 11

Chicago Modernist Gems: A Visit to the Schweikher House

Posted on January 3, 2022 by Madeline

As we continue to discover Modernist treasures in and around Chicago, we came upon the work of Paul Schweikher, a visionary architect who studied, lived and worked in Chicago between 1938 and 1953. It’s a welcome surprise that Schweikher House, his home and professional studio, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and are open for public tours.

About the Architect

Paul Schweikher graduated with an engineering degree from the University of Colorado Boulder and moved to Chicago to study at The Art Institute. In the 1930s, he began a collaboration with George Fred Keck, a visionary Modernist architect known for his design of the House of Tomorrow at the Century of Progress International Exposition. Equally impressive, Schweikher’s work was included in a major architectural exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in 1933, the Work of Young Architects in the Middle West. Schweikher went on to establish an architectural practice in 1934; it was in this practice that he designed some of his most celebrated commissions including the David B. Johnson House (Chicago, 1936), Emerson Settlement House (1939, Hinsdale, IL) and Louis C. Upton House (1950, Paradise Valley, AZ).

After being named chairman of the Yale School of Architecture in 1953, Schweikher became head of the Carnegie Mellon School of Architecture in 1958 and retired in Sedona AZ in 1970.

The Schweikher House

Schweikher built the house in 1937-38, after being inspired on a trip to Japan to study the country’s architecture. As both his private residence and his professional architecture studio, the building reflects a unique amalgam of Prairie, Japanese and vernacular architecture — with a strong modernist underpinning.

Photo courtesy of the Chicago History Museum/Hedrich Blessing Archive

The one-story, T-shaped house was a complete remodel of an old barn situated on a 7-½ acre plot of farmland on the outskirts of Chicago in Roselle, IL. Schweikher chose common materials including brick, red cypress wood and glass to reflect his interests in sustainability and engineering. He designed the interior as distinct areas for sleeping, living and working, connected to allow for a constant flow of natural light and air. He built a massive fireplace in the living room to establish the house’s character, while giving the Chicago common bricks center stage. Inspired by the Japanese minimalist architecture he had seen on his travels, Schweikher included a passive solar room, exposed wood beams, built-in furniture, a soaking tub, concealed storage in the paneling in each of the rooms, and shoji screens throughout the building.

After nearly a decade of serving as the Schweikher home and studio, the house was featured in the May 1947 issue of Architectural Forum magazine. By that time, the surrounding gardens designed by Franz Lipp, one of the country’s foremost landscape architects, had matured magnificently. In 1948–50, Schweikher made a series of additions including a formal studio that cantilevers over the large back yard and connects by a breezeway to the main building.

In 1953, when he took up his new position at Yale, Schweikher sold the home to Martyl and Alexander Langsdorf. Over the ensuing decades as owners and occupants, the Langsdorfs maintained the building and grounds with meticulous care, and spearheaded the effort to have it listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. In 1999, they sold the Schweikher House to the Village of Schaumburg in 1999 so it could be preserved as a public house museum, allowing this treasure of timeless architectural value to be experienced, enjoyed and learned from by all.

Scheduling a Visit

The Schweikher House is located at 645 W Meacham Road in Schaumburg, IL. Tickets to docent-led tours can be purchased online; a reservation is required.

Chicago Skyscraper History: the Merchandise Mart

Posted on December 22, 2021April 25, 2024 by Hunter

Chicago has earned its place on the architectural map with endless distinctions, including being home to the tallest building in the world for 25 years and to numerous acclaimed architects like Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, Marion Mahony Griffin and Jeanne Gang. But did you know that it’s also home to the world’s largest commercial building? Today, we’re taking a look at the history of the city’s beloved Merchandise Mart.

How It Came to Be

As dated infrastructure (like the abandoned railroad yards in the downtown area) proliferated in the early decades of the 20th century, more and more land development opportunities opened up. In hopes of beautifying the frontage along the Chicago River, Marshall Field & Co. announced their purchase of one of the largest available sites, at the junction of the River’s branches. The company began construction in 1928 and when the Merchandise Mart opened in 1930, it achieved the company’s dream of becoming a dedicated wholesale center for architectural and interior design vendors and trades serving the entire nation. And, with 4 million square feet on 25 floors under a single roof spanning two city blocks, it became the largest building in the world.

TheMART was imagined as a city-within-a-city. Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, the architects behind the structure’s streamlined look, took inspiration from traditional Art Deco architectural elements, including ribbon piers to define windows, setbacks and pavilions atop each corner to disguise the bulk of the building. Marshall Field himself was involved in the building’s design; his love for art inspired him to employ Jules Guerin to create 17 murals on the interior lobby’s frieze. Each mural details trade throughout the world and depicts the products, transportation and architecture of 14 countries.

TheMART was also a monumental experiment in state-of-the-art engineering and modern materials. At a cost of $26 million, it took advantage of construction techniques normally used in the building of big dams and employed nearly 5,700 workers at the height of the Great Depression.

theMART in the Modern Era

Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, theMART faced a handful of modernization projects. One was designed by Helmut Jahn to connect the building with the Apparel Center located across Orleans Street with a pedestrian bridge. The building was LEED Certified Silver in 2007, followed by LEED Gold Certification in 2013 and in 2018.

In recent years, as the contract furniture industry has evolved from a focus on a wholesale hub and independent manufacturer showrooms, the Mart has repositioned itself as a destination for innovation, creativity, technology and entrepreneurship. Rebranded “theMART,” the building remains the world’s largest commercial building, and has become home to a host of changemakers, including Motorola Mobility, 1871, Yelp, PayPal and MATTER, as well as Fortune 500 companies Conagra, Allstate, Kellogg, Beam Suntory, and Grainger.

Art on theMart, Art Institute of Chicago’s exhibition, Monet and Chicago, April, 2021

Merchandise Mart. Credit: Brandon Olafsson on Flickr Creative Commons CC BY 2.0 Deed

Today, theMART continues to celebrate an appreciation for architecture and art. The building now hosts a digital art display popularly known for “Art on theMART,” to showcase the work of prominent artists on the south façade of the structure.

With our love for all things “forever modern” at Optima, we are proud to have this magnificent example of design innovation and tireless reinvention in our midst.

A Guide to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Studios Part 1: Taliesin

Posted on December 20, 2021May 9, 2024 by Hunter

Frequently referred to as the father of American modernism through his establishment of the Prairie School of architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright gifted the world with many culturally-significant designs, forever leaving his stamp on American architecture. Many of Wright’s designs are widely celebrated and remain standing today, including Taliesin, one of his most iconic works that altered his life and the lives of those around him while serving as his studio.

The archetype of Prairie School architecture was built in 1911 by Wright after he had left Oak Park, Illinois to return to his family’s land in Spring Green, Wisconsin. Derived from Welsh mythology, Taliesin was an ancient poet, whose name means radiant brow. Wright built the exemplary estate in a Wisconsin River valley into the brow of his favorite hill from boyhood, hence its name.

During the process of designing Taliesin, Wright drew inspiration from the patterns and rhythms of his surroundings. He became inspired by the thought of living among his ancestry and the nature that surrounded him as he embodied the idea of organic architecture within his design. Wright refined visions from his previous Prairie School designs, including a lush courtyard and open floor plan, and used local limestone and sand from the Wisconsin River to invite the outdoors indoors — a radical idea at the time.

Throughout the estate’s history, it suffered a number of accidents, including two fires that sparked Wright to complete two renovations on Taliesin. The first of which, Taliesin II, was completed in 1915 after arson had destroyed one-third of the house, including Wright’s living quarters. The redesign was nearly identical to the architecture in Taliesin I, excluding its new observation deck and, in an attempt to make the estate completely self-sufficient, Wright’s hydroelectric generator.

Taliesin, Photographed in 1913 before the first of its two fires, Courtesy of Wisconsin Historical Society

Following another destructive fire in 1925, Wright was forced once again to pour new life into Taliesin and went to develop the third rendition of the estate, Taliesin III. Through the devastation, Wright remained committed to his passion for thoughtful architecture and brought a breath of fresh air to the bare structure that surrounded him. While living at Taliesin III Wright also designed some of his more renowned work, including Fallingwater, the headquarters for S.C. Johnson and Jacobs I (the Herberg Jacobs House).

Beginning in 1932, Wright established the Taliesin Fellowship and hosted 50 apprentices at Taliesin on an annual basis, giving them the opportunity to work for him for a lengthy period of time and experience his intensive working environment. Today, the estate is in the hands of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and the fellowship uses the neighboring Hillside School as its home base. The esteemed property was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1976.

Located just a few hours outside of Chicago, the Taliesen estate is the perfect day trip for anyone who appreciates breathtaking architecture and offers visitors a variety of tours designed for every level of interest, which can be booked on their website here.

Women in Architecture: Jane Drew

Posted on December 15, 2021May 9, 2024 by Hunter

As part of our ongoing “Women in Architecture” series, we’re spotlighting another luminary in the field: Jane Drew. As the spearhead of the Modernist Movement in London, Jane Drew prevailed as a determined leader in a male-dominated profession, as she changed the lives of many by directing her career to explore the intersections of architecture and wellness.

The Life of Jane Drew

Drew was born on March 24, 1911, in Thornton Heath, Croydon, in South London. Her father was a surgical instrument designer and founder of the Institute of British Surgical Technicians, and her mother was a school teacher who greatly encouraged Drew’s interest and appreciation for art and nature.

After graduating high school, Drew began her study at one of the most prestigious and competitive architectural schools in the world, the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London. Following five years of study, during which she married fellow architect James Thomas Alliston, Drew propelled herself into the architecture world working for Joseph Hill. During her employment, Drew was introduced to Bohemianism, which fostered her musical, artistic, literary and spiritual pursuits and had a lasting impact on her career.

Following her divorce in 1939, Drew became heavily involved in the International Congresses of Modern Architecture (CIAM), introducing her to Swiss architect Le Corbusier. Eventually, under the guidance of the CIAM, Drew became a principal founder of the Modern Movement in Britain alongside Henry Moore, Elizabeth Lutyens, and her future husband, Maxwell Fry.

Inspired by the abundance of talent surrounding her, Drew’s illustrious architectural career blossomed in the 1940s. She opened her firm at the beginning of the decade and only employed female architects, giving them a unique platform for professional and creative pursuit. Due to constraints posed by World War II, much of Drew’s work was limited to London. However, in 1944 she was appointed as the assistant town-planning advisor to the resident minister for the British West African colonies, which would change the trajectory of her career forever.

Career and Accolades

Alongside the great heartbreak, World War II brought to London came new opportunities, especially for Drew and her husband, who had established a new firm in London: Fry, Drew and Partners. In 1947 she began designing a series of new schools in Ghana and Nigeria. With cultural appreciation in mind, Drew and Fry worked around the unique topography to incorporate native motifs and create a new architecture style for the new nation, now known as Tropical Modernism.

In 1951, Indian Prime minister Pandit Nehru approached the couple in hopes they would develop the new capital of the Indian state Punjab, Chandigarh. The couple eagerly accepted his offer and began working with Le Corbusier to create their most celebrated architectural work. The couple experimented with new forms of design in the country and discovered methods to integrate schools, health facilities, and swimming baths into housing structures, affecting the future of housing designs throughout India.

Drew’s triumphant accomplishments didn’t stop there; she garnered even greater acclaim during the latter half of her career. Some of her most renowned works included designing the interior of London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts building (an organization that she helped establish), the School for the Deaf in Herne Hill, London, and buildings for the Open University in Milton Keynes, England.

Drew continued her involvement in architecture after her retirement in 1973 and served on the Council of the Royal Institute of British Architects, of which she was a lifelong fellow. And, shortly before her death in 1996, she was awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Throughout her distinguished career, Drew’s passion for conscious design prevailed through her modern work. With every new project, Drew took away an abundance of new knowledge, forever shaping her future work and fashioning the process of thoughtful decision-making that remains in architecture today.

Visionary Libraries Around The World

Posted on November 17, 2021May 9, 2024 by Hunter

At Optima, our appreciation for innovative design and forward-facing architecture runs deep. We continue to be inspired by pioneering design in public structures of all types across the globe, from museums to municipal buildings and everything in between. Today, we’re exploring some of the world’s most celebrated contemporary libraries recognized by Architectural Digest — from their unique futuristic perspectives to their captivating appetite for inventive design.

Tianjin Binhai Library, Tianjin, China

Tianjin Binhai Library is one of Tianjin’s newest developments as part of its emerging cultural district, the Binhai Cultural Center. The future-facing library was designed by the Dutch architectural firm MVRDV in partnership with the Tianjin Urban Planning and Design Institute and opened to the public in 2017. The building features more than 360,000 square feet of space, floor-to-ceiling terraced bookshelves and a massive spherical auditorium that sits in its center — and has earned the library its nickname, The Eye. The unique space frequently serves as a hub for education and performance for Tianjin’s residents and expands the horizons for what the future of shared community attractions and libraries might be.

Helsinki Central Library’s façade and undulating roof, Oodi, Finland. Credit: Ninara on Flickr Creative Commons, CC BY 2.0 Deed

Helsinki Central Library Oodi, Finland

Situated in the heart of Finland’s largest city, Helsinki Central Library Oodi offers unrestrained access and experiences for its guests. Designed by Finnish architectural firm ALA Architects, the library was completed in 2018 and boasts an undulating cloud-like roof that contrasts the harshness of its lower wooden body. The library is assembled with a unique mix of glass, steel and spruce wood and combines various aspects of contemporary design. Its visionary architecture separates the library into three distinct layers: an alive ground level, a tranquil upper level and an in-between space complete with studios, game rooms, meeting spaces and workshops equipped with next-generation technology.

Qatar National Library, Doah, Qatar

Qatar National Library is a genuine manifestation of contemporary art designed by Dutch firm OMA. The building opened in 2017 and was designed so its focal point — the Heritage Collection — and its entrance reside at its center. Around the center, each of the building’s corners folds up, revealing terraces of marble bookshelves and its People Mover — a one-of-a-kind transportation system that directs its guests throughout its levels. Qatar National Library contains Doha’s National Library, Public Library and University Library, totaling more than a million collective works of literature.

The Arabian Library’s pre-rusted façade, Scottsdale, Arizona. Credit Ellen Forsyth on Flickr Creative Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed

The Arabian Library, Scottsdale, Arizona

Recalling the silhouette and architecture of Arizona’s Monument Valley and various slot canyons, local firm Richard Kennedy Architects created The Arabian Library on the edge of Scottsdale — only 15 minutes from the Optima Kierland Apartments. The building’s dramatic pre-rusted steel façade complements its stone roof, which is complete with lush, native vegetation. The library’s interior is uniquely designed to mirror the atmosphere of retail and living environments and incorporates an abundance of sustainable materials and technologies.

All works of art in their own novel ways, from their futuristic architecture to their radical functions, these libraries exhibit the best of the best among the world’s most innovative libraries.

Women in Architecture: Marion Mahony Griffin

Posted on November 8, 2021October 26, 2025 by Hunter

Often unrecognized for her immense contributions to the Prairie School, Marion Mahony Griffin was a leader in the architectural world for many years, paving the way for the countless women who followed her. Today, as part of our ongoing “Women in Architecture” series, we’re exploring the inception of the iconic architect and designer and where her extensive experience led her.

The Life of Marion Mahony Griffin

A Chicago native, Mahony was born in 1871 to Jeremiah Mahony, a journalist, and Clara Hamilton, a teacher. After the tragic events of the Great Chicago Fire, in which her family’s house was destroyed, her family relocated to the Chicago suburb of Winnetka where she spent the majority of her childhood. Inspired by how rapidly the landscape around her was changing — and encouraged by her cousin Dwight Perkins, an American architect — Mahony was drawn to the idea of furthering her education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Mahony graduated from MIT in 1894 and was only the second woman to receive an architecture degree from the school (after the World’s Columbian Exposision’s Women’s building designer, Sophia Hayden). She soon moved back to Chicago where she became the first woman in modern history to sit for, and be granted, an architectural license in the United States, benefiting from the fact that Illinois was the first state in America to allow women to hold licenses.

Ward W. Willits House, designed by Marion Mahony Griffin. Credit: Teemu008 on Flickr Creative Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed

While in Chicago, Mahony spent two years working with her cousin Dwight Perkins at his studio in Steinway Hall (which Perkins also designed), where a diverse crowd of innovative artists and architects from the Prairie School could always be found. Soon after she left her cousin’s firm, she discovered another young Chicago architect also working in the building, Frank Lloyd Wright. Hired as Wright’s first employee, Mahony worked on and off with him for the next 14 years and became a significant contributor to his practice.

Ward W. Willits House, Highland Park, Illinois, 1902, One of the numerous intricate watercolor renderings Mahony created for Wright during her employment, Courtesy of Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

Career and Achievements

While working for Wright, Mohony provided intricate architectural renderings for his designs, becoming an essential participant in his work and leaving her without credit — a recurring theme throughout her career. Today, the renderings are acknowledged as her creations and she is recognized as one of the greatest architectural illustrators.

Mahony completed numerous independent projects while working for Wright including Evanston’s All Souls Unitarian Church. The intimate church featured an abundance of alluring stained glass in its skylights, windows and numerous other light fixtures.

Eventually, Mahony left Wright’s studio to work with her husband, Walter Burley Griffin, a fellow architect and leading member of the Prairie School. Together, Griffin and Mahony created their most renowned work, the design of Prairie School residences in Mason City, Iowa, Rock Crest – Rock Glen. The nationally-recognized historic district features eight elaborate Prairie School homes that surround the city’s Willow Creek.

In 1914 the couple relocated to Australia, where Mahony’s watercolor renderings of Griffin’s design were chosen as the plan for the country’s new capital, Canberra. In Australia, Mahony’s commission’s increased dramatically. One of her final and most well-known works is Melbourne’s Capitol Theatre. The theatre’s opulent decor and avant-garde ceilings and walls were designed to invoke a crystalline cave, and showed a new side of Mahony’s architectural gifts.

Today, Mahony’s extensive experience and portfolio speak for themselves, and she is finally recognized as a trailblazer for architecture and design, and as an original member of the Prairie School.

Romanticism to Ruin: Two Lost Works of Sullivan and Wright

Posted on November 5, 2021May 9, 2024 by Nancy

Chicago is fortunate to have a rich architectural tradition. From the city’s first skyscraper built in 1885 to the transcending towers that look over the urban landscape today, architecture is at the forefront of Chicago’s role as a world-class city. At Optima, we are grateful to be part of an ecosystem that appreciates thoughtful and purposeful design. In the spirit of celebrating some of Chicago’s most prominent architects, we are delighted to see an exhibition at Wrightwood 659 that brings two magnificent lost buildings, designed by luminary architects to the public.

Romanticism to Ruin: Two Lost Works of Sullivan and Wright can be seen at Wrightwood 659, located just south of Optima Lakeview. This collection offers a glimpse into the rich history of two buildings designed by renowned architects Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis H. Sullivan. Though few connections are evident between the two structures at first glance, a deeper dive uncovers the rich relationship between the Garrick Theatre in Chicago and the Larkin Administration Building in Buffalo.

Photo of the Garrick Theatre — The Garrick Theatre, 1891, Photo courtesy of The Richard Nickel Committee and Archive

Reconstructing The Garrick

At the time of its completion in 1892, the Garrick Theatre, with a capacity of 1,300 seats, was among the tallest buildings in Chicago. Sullivan and his firm partner, Dankmar Adler, designed the exquisite structure to reflect the German heritage of its original investors, but made every development choice with careful thought for the theatre’s visitors. As the historic structure faded with time, its decline accelerated, and in 1961, amid much controversy and disagreement, the theatre was razed and replaced with a parking structure.

Reconstructing the Garrick uses stencils, fragments, drawings, photography and narrative to bring the lost architectural treasure back to life. Some of Sullivan’s most opulent designs for the Garrick included numerous terracotta portraits of well-known German men of the arts that protruded from the Theatre’s upper floors. Fragile ornamentation and vibrantly-colored plasters consisting of gold, jade and salmon, salvaged before and after the building’s demolition, are on view as part of the exhibition, offering access to delightful details of this grand structure that have been long-forgotten.

Photo of the Larkin Administration Building — Larkin Administration Building, 1934, Larkin Company photography collection

Reimagining the Larkin

Razed in 1906, the Larkin Administration Building, owned by Darwin D. Martin, was Wright’s first commercially-designed structure and allowed him to apply his innovative and pioneering techniques to a much larger scale. The building, designed and constructed for the Larkin Soap Company, was groundbreaking in its own right as a center where all of the company’s products were both manufactured and mailed. However, at the forefront of Wright’s mind was designing for workability.

Wright and Martin both understood that an ordered, well-lit and harmonious environment would champion the workers. The five-story red brick building included numerous modernized mechanics, including air conditioning, built-in desk furniture and suspended toilets. Wright designed most of the building’s furniture himself, and many pieces are on display within the exhibition. Deemed by critics and architects at the time as the finest commercial building in the world, the Larkin also seamlessly unified technology with the nature that surrounded it with its rooftop garden, recreation areas and water lily ponds.

Unlike the Garrick, after years of deterioration, there was little fight to save the Larkin. However, today both buildings hold greater significance than ever before. The Gerrick and the Larkin prove how transcendent architecture is defined not only by its material and look, but also by the lasting impression it stamps into history.

Romanticism to Ruin is currently open to visitors Fridays and Saturdays through the end of December 2021. You can reserve tickets to the exhibit here.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and His Role in the Chicago Skyline

Posted on October 27, 2021May 9, 2024 by Hunter

Mid-Century Modernism defines the Chicago skyline. Organic forms rise from Chicago’s foundation and cast shadows across the Lake while innovative use of glass reflects waves of light onto the city streets. The Willis Tower, Marina City, the Aon Center are all notable examples of the mid-century modern masterpieces towering over the city.

Chicago’s mid-century modern skyline would not be complete without the exceptional contributions of architecture titan Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Born 1886 in Germany, Mies emigrated to Chicago in the 1930s due to the rise of Nazism in Europe. Already an esteemed architect, in Chicago Mies accepted the position as head of the architecture school at the Armour Institute of Technology (now the Illinois Institute of Technology). At IIT, Mies was commissioned to design buildings for the campus which still stand today. These buildings include Alumni Hall, the Carr Memorial Chapel, and S.R. Crown Hall, some of Mies’ many masterpieces.

Mies aspired to create architecture that represented modernity with clarity and simplicity. In 1951, Mies completed the two residential buildings of 860-880 Lakeshore Drive which are considered Chicago Landmarks and are listed as National Historic Places. Initially, the towers were viewed critically. However, with time the buildings became the prototype for steel and glass skyscrapers around the world.

Mies also designed Chicago’s Federal Center Plaza which is composed of three buildings; the Everett McKinley Dirksen courthouse building, the John C. Kulczynski building, and the Post Office building. The three buildings situate themselves around a plaza with Calder’s red Flamingo sculpture at the center. The plaza serves as one of the main gathering points in the Loop, Chicago’s commercial center.

Kluczynski Federal Building, Chicago, 1973, designed by Mies van der Rohe. Credit: Matt B on Flickr Creative Commons, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Deed

Not too far away at 330 North Wabash sits the former IBM Plaza and Building, one of the last American projects designed by Mies. Built in 1973, the building was designed with advanced technology in mind and became well-known for the several atypical features it included as an office space at the time. Today, the Chicago Landmark is known as the AMA Plaza and includes the Langham Hotel, often regarded as one of the best hotels in the nation.

The Promontory, situated at 5530 S Shore Dr, stands 22 stories over Chicago’s Promontory Point and extensive shoreline in the Burnham neighborhood. Mies built the structure with a “Double T” design in which horizontal cross-bars join and the stems of the T’s form wings to the rear. Mies would employ this design in many of his future buildings.

Farnsworth House exterior, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe,1945-1951. Credit: David Wilson on Flickr Creative Commons, CC BY 2.0 Deed

The Farnsworth House, designed as a vacation retreat for Dr. Edith Farnsworth, is located just outside of Chicago in Plano, Illinois. Though the Farnsworth House is not a grand skyscraper, it has left a lasting impact on the Chicago architectural landscape. The house was an exploration for Mies in the convergence of humans, shelter, and nature. Consisting of a glass pavilion raised six feet above a floodplain beside the Fox River, the house has been described as “sublime” an “a poem” and is now a public museum.

Today, Chicago’s skyline has completely transformed from what it was more than 50 years ago when Mies passed. However, even as it continues to evolve with every new development, Mies iconic buildings still stand out as striking, inspiring architectural masterpieces.

Women in Architecture: Amanda Williams

Posted on October 20, 2021October 26, 2025 by Hunter

As part of our ongoing “Women in Architecture” series at Optima, we’re taking a look at another spearheading female figure: Amanda Williams. Similar to many of the women in this series, she is a pioneer in her field. Trained as an architect, Williams blurs the line between visual arts and modern architecture. Learn more about her remarkable life and work below.

The Life of Amanda Williams

Amanda Williams was born in 1974 in Evanston, Illinois. However, she grew up in Chicago’s Southside Gresham neighborhood. She graduated from Cornell University in 1997, where she studied architecture and was a member of one of the nation’s most prominent honor societies. After graduating, Williams moved to San Francisco and worked for a commercial architecture firm for six years before returning to her hometown to focus on her love of painting.

Back in Chicago, Williams discovered The Center Program. The Hyde Park Arts Center’s capstone program is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for groundbreaking artists. While in the program, fellow artist Trisha Van Eck challenged Williams to take her talents a step further and paint on a larger architectural scale. Her response led to some of her most recognized and celebrated work today.

Throughout her practice, Williams uses vibrant color to draw attention to the complexities and intersections of race, place and value within cities. Her paintings, sculptures and installations are all created to examine how the mundane can be viewed through a new lens and question the state of urban space throughout the country. Notable Work

Amanda Williams. Color(ed) Theory: Currency Exchange, Safe Passaage, 2014-16. Photograph by Amanda Williams. https://www.instagram.com/awstudioart/.

In 2015, Williams debuted her most famous project, Color(ed) Theory at Chicago’s Architecture Biennial. The critically acclaimed exhibition, featured in The New York Times, examines race and space on Chicago’s South Side. With the help of family and friends, Williams repainted eight abandoned houses in the Englewood neighborhood between 2014 and 2016 as part of the exhibition. Each house was decorated with specific colors Williams found in products targeted towards Black consumers. Still standing today, the eight eye-opening houses continue to push for further discussions on the complexities of race and space Chicago and around the world.

Chicago is home to another one of William’s most well-known pieces. Located at The Arts Club of Chicago, Uppity Negress was a site-specific exterior installation created in 2017. The work investigates the claim of courtyards as either public or private areas and addresses the vast roles that gender and race play in urban accessibility.

While much of Williams’ work is located in or near Chicago, her aptitude for creation has led her across the United States. In early 2019, Williams was chosen alongside acclaimed artist Olalekan Jeyifous to design Brooklyn’s newest monument dedicated to Rep. Shirley Chisholm, part of a larger city-wide initiative known as She Built NYC. The monument is soon to be completed and will sit at the Parkside entrance to the neighborhood’s Prospect Park.

Alongside her transformative work, Williams has been a recipient of many architecture and art awards as well as achievements throughout her career:

Chicago’s 3Arts Award, 2014
United States Artists Fellow, 2018
New Generation Leader, Women in Architecture Awards, 2021
Obama Presidential Center Design Team

Williams has lectured at esteemed schools including Washington University, California College of the Arts, Illinois Institute of Technology and her alma mater. Today, she continues to forge a lane of her own and blend traditional visual art techniques with the complexity of architectural design.

Modernist Movements in South America

Posted on October 13, 2021May 8, 2024 by Hunter

Countless architects and designers across the world and throughout history share the same passion and appreciation for Modernist design that we hold at Optima. One of our industry’s greatest delights is exploring how design translates through the lenses of other cultures and countries. Today, we’re exploring the ever-important Modernist movements from South America.

Modernismo in Brazil

Modernisimo, founded in Brazil, began in the wake of World War I and influenced Modernist movements around the world. A rebellion against European artistic and aesthetic influence, Modernismo brought Brazilian life and thought into the modern era through the celebration of the culture’s rich traditions of folklore, architecture, art and style.

By the 1930s, after decades of success, Modernisimo splintered into factions of artists, thinkers and creatives, but the movement’s influence on later art, sculpture, literature and architecture remains prominent. Brazilian architects and designers such as Lina Bo Bardi adopted concepts of Modernisimo in their own practices, creating world-renowned structures that are still celebrated and used today.

Casa Luis Barragán. Credit: washingtonydc on Flickr Creative Commons, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Deed

Other Movements

Brazil is not the only South American country with a strong Modernist legacy. In Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico and Argentina, Modernism involved active divergence from Spanish influences and was a form of artistic and political protest.

Architects such as Luis Barragán in Mexico and Carlos Raúl Villanueva in Venezuela began designing structures that departed from classic European designs to create a modern visual vocabulary celebrating the traditions and legacies of their home countries. These architects became globally renowned for their work and are considered among the founders of Modernism.

The Casa Luis Barragán in Mexico City, designed by Barragán, is one of the most internationally transcendent pieces of contemporary architecture in the world. Composed of smooth grey, orange, pink and brown cement façades, the structure served as Barragán’s private residence and studio and took influence from Mexican tradition and vernacular. It is the only individual property in Latin America that is listed as a United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Site.

Similarly, Raúl Villanueva’s design for the campus and buildings of the Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas utilized Modernist principles and Venezuelan cultural history combined with urban and architectural planning to construct Venezuela’s center of higher education.

Like all artistic movements, South American Modernism served as inspiration for and reflection of Modernist movements internationally, including Europe and America. Today, the impact of the postwar South American Modernist movements can be found abroad and in the work of many famed architects.

With Optima’s strong connection to Modernism, we continue to study, admire and garner inspiration from the rich traditions that took root in other cultures and remain relevant and vital today.

hidden h1

Tag: architecture history