Masterpieces of Chicago architecture

This book of drawings and photographs from the archival collections of The Art Institute of Chicago, Department of Architecture, includes three essays reviewing the legacy of Chicago architecture, the history of architectural exhibitions at the Art Institute, and a discussion of the present state of Chicago's leadership in architectural innovation. Stanley Tigerman, a prominent Chicago architect (Univ. of Illinois, Chicago), states in the preface that the book is meant to portray two aspects of Chicago architecture: modern innovations and a rich history of traditional architecture. He argues that for every seminal modernist there was also an important Classicist. Zukowsky (curator of architecture for more than 20 years) provides a history of exhibitions, featuring the spectacular 1988 exhibition, "Chicago Architecture 1872-1922." The concluding essay by associate curator Thorne discusses Chicago in the new millennium: Chicago has a long tradition of using architecture to assert itself, e.g., the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893; the then-world's-tallest skyscrapers, the John Hancock Building and the Sears Tower; and the stellar careers of Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe. She argues that Chicago still plays an important leadership role in architectural innovation and quality, shown by the book's many excellent photographs of Chicago's most famous buildings, past and present. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. All levels. J. W. Stamper University of Notre Dame

Zukowsky, curator of architecture at the Art Institute of Chicago, has authored or edited the best efforts so far at producing a definitive account of Chicago's preeminent role in U.S. architectural history. His readers may be excused, then, for finding his latest book to be something of a disappointment. Masterpieces is little more than an attractively packaged promotional vehicle for the institute's indisputably important work in collecting, documenting, and promoting Chicago's architectural heritage. Too selective to provide a balanced historical overview, this gorgeously illustrated catalog of over 80 buildings offers glimpses of the institute's considerable holdings and boasts of its splashy and popular exhibitions. Associate curator Martha Thorne's epilog takes a quick look at exciting building projects in the works since 2000. Chicago Architecture 1872-1922: Birth of a Metropolis and Chicago Architecture and Design 1923-1993: Reconfiguration of an American Metropolis, both edited by Zukowsky and still in print, remain the volumes of choice for libraries serious about documenting Chicago's inestimable contribution to U.S. and world architecture.-David Soltesz, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.