Who Are the Masterminds Behind Chicago’s Iconic Architecture?

Known as the birthplace of modern architecture, Chicago attracted numerous architects and designers after the Great Fire who were eager to rebuild the city. Their contributions to its neighborhoods and current skyline make for one of the most popular and well-known architectural landscapes in the world.

Daniel Burnham is perhaps best known for his role as Director of Works for the 1892-1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, the designs of which were also referred to as “The White City”. Born in New York, Burnham left the city and moved to Chicago at age eight. When he left as a young man to study, his test anxiety got the better of him, however his knack for drawing propelled him into a career in architecture.

Upon his return to Chicago at age twenty-one, Burnham worked for a number of firms before joining forces with friend John Wellborn Root and establishing their own firm, Burnham and Root. Burnham’s most notable buildings include The Rookery Building, Union Station, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Montauk Building in Chicago, as well as the Flatiron Building in New York. These are just a few of his hundreds of designs. 

2. Louis Sullivan (1856-1924)

Popularly regarded as one of the most famous architects of all time, Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural style and influence are wide-reaching. He was a founder of the Prairie School movement and designed more than 1000 structures including homes, offices, skyscrapers, hotels, museums, and more. Originally from Wisconsin, Wright eventually took an apprenticeship in Chicago and later opened a studio in his home in Oak Park, IL. Though not in Chicago, one of his most famous works is Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, built over a waterfall to embody his philosophy of marrying the environment with man-made structures. Other works of Wright’s include Taliesin, his winter home in Arizona, the Frederick C. Robie House in Chicago, and the Unity Building in Oak Park. 

4. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969)

Born in Germany, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, known commonly as Mies, became a prominent architect, designer, and academic as one of the pioneers of modern architecture. He adhered to the design philosophy of open spaces and clean surfaces as seen in many of his buildings and coined the phrase “less is more” to describe his style and belief about design. In addition to many German structures, his Chicago works include the IBM Plaza, One Illinois Center, and the Chicago Federal Center. 

5. Bertrand Goldberg (1913-1997)

A Chicago native, Goldberg studied at both Harvard and the Bauhaus in Berlin before returning to eventually form his own firm in 1937. He is best known for his Marina City in downtown Chicago, a set of residential and commercial skyscrapers completed in 1967. More commonly referred to by locals as the ‘corn cob buildings’, Marina City’s unique round shapes stand out from the rest of downtown and have been featured in many films and shows over the years.

Goldberg designed it as such to maximize usable floor space. He was well known for his efficiency of space and problem-solving in design, but also for his notion that since no right angles exist in nature, they shouldn’t be featured in architecture. 

Founder of Studio Gang, Jeanne Gang has offices in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Paris. Drawing inspiration from ecology to connect her designs with the environment, Gang has gained notoriety for her projects worldwide. One of her most famous buildings, Aqua, was the tallest building in the world designed by a woman at the time of its completion. Another well-known structure is The St. Regis Chicago, also known as Vista Tower, a 101-story hotel and residential skyscraper in the Lakeshore East community on the Chicago River. Gang’s use of shadow and unique lines on the exterior of her buildings makes them stand out from surrounding structures and are a beautiful addition to the Chicago skyline.