My architecture column today. "Built in 1973, St. Mark AME Zion Church is one of the finest works of pioneering Black architect Wendell Campbell’s distinguished 50-year career."

National Trust grant provides preservation hope for modernist East Chicago church

The $150,000 award will help St. Mark A.M.E. Zion Church's congregation create a plan to preserve the unique 53-year-old structure designed by the late Black Chicago architect Wendell Campbell.

chicago.suntimes.com

Today's architecture column on Trinity UCC's Imani Village senior residences. "The latter years of your life, you need to be comfortable. You need to be in a nice surroundings," Imani Village Executive Vice President Patricia Eggleston said. "And so that’s why we decided that we wanted to build it."

Imani Village brings senior housing with style to Cottage Grove Avenue

Built by the South Side's progressive Trinity United Church of Christ and designed by architectural firm Johnson & Lee, the five-story building wakes up the street with a dash of color and a bit of ve...

chicago.suntimes.com

In my recent column on the Bell Federal weather sign getting a big refresh, the developer said the device -- which also forecast the weather -- had a manual control in the building's basement. Here's the control, courtesy of a source of mine who took this pic while visiting the building this week.

My column today. "Is the Chicago Park District starting to get its act together and do right by its architectural treasures? Two current projects give me some hope."

A Victorian bandstand gets ready for an encore while Jackson Park’s golden lady gets new clothes

Is the Chicago Park District starting to get its act together and do right by its architectural treasures? Two current projects give our architecture critic some hope.

chicago.suntimes.com

Hotel Florence, 11111 S. Forrestville in the Pullman neighborhood yesterday. Designed by Solon S. Beman, built in 1881.

Cat Stevens/Yusef Islam's birthday is today. Much respect to all the music he's created -- especially this 1977 electro jam.

Cat Stevens ~ Was Dog a Doughnut 1977 Disco Purrfection Version

YouTube video by DJDiscoCat

youtube.com

At the OPC with library commissioner Chris Brown and OPC branch librarian Marcus Lumpkin to sign a copy of Southern Exposure for the Obama Presidential Reading Room. Chris said the branch gets 3000 daily visits -- almost as much as the Washington Library gets. I can see how. It's pretty packed now.

I'm looking forward to being in conversation Aug 5 with my good friend, the talented Dawn Turner, about her new book, Majestic Hills. We'll be at Call & Response Books, 1390 E. Hyde Park Blvd. Come on through!

"Some people say Casablanca or Citizen Kane. I say Jason and the Argonauts is the greatest film ever made." Tom Hanks, 1992.

Canadian Smoke. Sounds like the name of a band that woulda played an all-ages show at the Cabaret Metro in 1984.

There’s poop on the lettuce. There’s worms in the beef. There’s glass in the bread. What kind of Upton Sinclair timeline is this

Tomorrow's architecture column today: The Frank Gehry desk in the Inland Steel Building fetches $243,000 at auction today.

7 tons and whaddya get? A quarter of a million for a Frank Gehry desk

Icehenge, the 7-ton glass desk designed by the late architect Frank Gehry sold at auction for $243,200.

chicago.suntimes.com

Today's column: Downtown's old Bell Federal Savings sign that once told the time and temp, but also featured a lighted, acrylic bell that changed color to alert passersby of coming weather conditions, is being renovated and put back into use.

Iconic Loop weather bell to shine again after years in the dark

"It's an icon for the city," said Gary Stoltz of R2 Companies, which is redeveloping the Rector Building where the sign is located. "Everybody who's spent time in the Loop, walking through the Loop, r...

chicago.suntimes.com

My architecture column earned props today from my Sun-Times colleague Neil Steinberg. Much obliged, Neil!

Neil Steinberg@neilsteinberg.bsky.social · 4w ago

My blog post today: www.everygoddamnday.com/2026/07/etym...

I talked abt the Frank Gehry desk this morning on CBS 2 Chicago.

Iconic 16-piece glass desk at Inland Steel building up for auction

A 7-ton glass desk designed by Frank Gehry is up for auction.

cbsnews.com

For some additional context from yesterday's coverage of the Thornton Reservoir being full. Here's a drone image taken on February of this year from my colleague Anthony Vazquez next to mine shot yesterday.

Today's architecture column. The work is expected to fetch between $100,000 and $200,000 at auction.

A Loop glass desk designed by Frank Gehry — all 7 tons of it — heads to auction

Called Icehenge, the 16-piece desk is located in the lobby of the iconic Inland Steel Building, one of the late architect's favorite structures.

chicago.suntimes.com

My architecture column today. "Bowen alum Andy Davis, director of the 1993 movie The Fugitive remembers the school's architectural details -- and that the building wasn’t always in the best condition. 'We all felt the pigeon droppings had something to do with keeping it together,' he said."

Bowen High — Schurz High School's overlooked architectural doppelgänger — gets recognized at last

State officials have asked the National Park Service to put the Dwight Perkins-designed South Chicago school on the National Register of Historic Places.

chicago.suntimes.com

When you're looking through the Presidential Reading Room at the OPC to see if you've read any book the Obamas recommend (there were a bunch!) and you see @leebey1.bsky.social's book, Southern Exposure, prominently on display 🙌🏼

The Railway Children, A Pleasure. 1988. When I was in my early 20s, this is the kind of stuff WXRT would play when I was cruising home at night on Lake Shore Drive. My whole life ahead of me.

The Railway Children - A Pleasure

YouTube video by juvan baldeo

youtube.com

Today's architecture column. "By The Hand Club For Kids’ $24 million renovation would revive an often overlooked building that was designed by noted architects then became the birthplace of the environmental justice movement."

Altgeld Gardens' 'Up Top' building to return to tip-top shape as an after-school center

By The Hand Club For Kids' renovation would revive an often overlooked building that was designed by noted architects then became the birthplace of the environmental justice movement.

chicago.suntimes.com

My architecture column today (what a busy week on the beat.) A state advisory council will vote today on a measure to make all of the city's courtyard-style residential buildings -- there are thousands of them -- eligible for National Register consideration.

Could Chicago's stock of courtyard buildings wind up on the National Register of Historic Places?

A state advisory council will vote on a measure to make all of the city's courtyard-style residential buildings eligible for National Register consideration.

chicago.suntimes.com

My architecture column today. A non-profit steps in to save the ramshackle Frank Lloyd Wright-designed J.J. Walser House in the Austin neighborhood. "We’re really excited about the possibilities," Austin Coming Together Executive Director Darnell Shields said.

Neglected Frank Lloyd Wright house on the West Side sold for $125,000

The nonprofit community group Austin Coming Together bought the vacant Wright-designed J.J. Walser Jr. House and seeks to restore the building.

chicago.suntimes.com

In my column today when I said the old Palace of Fine Arts from the World's Columbian Exposition had fallen into ruin before it was rescued and turned into the MSI in 1933, this is the ruin I was talking about.

Today's architecture column: the MSI's plan by Robert A.M. Stern Architects to re-open its south entry, likely last routinely used by patrons who sailed up to the entrance by gondola when the building was the Palace of Fine Arts at the 1893 World's Fair.

Back door no more: Museum of Science and Industry seeks to reopen its south entrance after a century

The museum plans to break ground this year on a $22 million project that will reopen the 133-year-old edifice's south entry and add an indoor cafe with seating on the building's outdoor renovated terr...

chicago.suntimes.com

In the interest of clarity, I'm reposting my May 9 column on OPC infrastructure improvements. "The costs are not part of the presidential center’s privately-funded $850 million price tag."

Obama Presidential Center helped by $123 million in public infrastructure improvements

There's more work planned at the site, with the final cost likely to approach $200 million.

chicago.suntimes.com

I'm back on the BBC talking about the OPC for BBC Radio's Front Row Arts program. Devon VanHouten-Maldonado, Executive Director of Chicago's SkyART is a guest also. Our segment begins at 28:43.

BBC Audio | Front Row | As midsummer approaches, we ask why poets, writers and musicians are so drawn to rain

Rain at National Library of Scotland, Katharine Hepburn, Obama Presidential Center.

bbc.com

On Sasha-Ann's WBEZ radio show, "In the Loop" this morning, on a panel talking about the OPC and other newsworthy stuff.

WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap, June 18, 2026: Obama Center opening, new candidate enters mayoral race and more

A person was charged with arson and a hate crime in connection with a cross burning in Grant Park. An alderman proposes renaming Northerly Island in honor of Pope Leo XIV.

wbez.org

Here's a picture I took in Grant Park, the day after Election Day 2008. Now that the presidential center is open, the Obama Foundation should resurrect these Obamacycles so folk can get around that 19 acre campus. 😊

Graybeard has a late lunch while listening to the birds at Big Marsh Park, one of his favorite spots.