Chicago Modern Architecture Tour Vacation Package
Sofitel Chicago Water Tower

Sofitel Chicago Water Tower bids you welcome with world-class downtown Chicago hotel accommodations - minutes from the Magnificent Mile, Michigan Avenue, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Art Institute, and trendy boutiques. Designed by the French architect Jean-Paul Viguier, our downtown...

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Immediately after World War II, Chicago reestablished itself as a world capital of Modern architecture. We examine many of the buildings that helped earn Chicago such acclaim, from the elegant minimalism of Mies van der Rohe's Federal Center to the brawny expressiveness of the Richard J. Daley Center. We also trace the evolution of Modernism in the hands of a second wave of notable architects such as Helmut Jahn and the rise of such Postmodern structures as Philip Johnson's 190 S. LaSalle. Modernism is once again flowering in Chicago, and we'll look at contemporary examples like the recently completed tower at One South Dearborn, Trump Tower, and the Art Institute's Modern Wing.

• October, 2008 - April, 2009: Daily at 1:00 pm
• May – September: Daily at 1:00pm
• October – March 2010: Daily at 1:00pm

NOTE: No tour given on Thanksgiving (November 26, 2009), Christmas Day (December 25, 2009) or New Year's Day (January 1, 2010).

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Intersections define cities--streets, cultures, ideas and architecture come together and visually communicate cultural history and stimulate new ideas. Chicago's downtown intersections are at the core of the city's vibrancy. Intersections: An Introduction to Chicago Architecture is a two-hour walking tour that introduces architecture from 1871 to the present, and serves to create the context for Millennium Park.

The tour explores five street intersections: Michigan and Adams, Dearborn and Adams, Clark and Randolph, State and Randolph and Michigan and Randolph; and five architectural styles: Chicago School, Beaux Arts, Modernism, Post Modernism, and Deconstructionist. Different combination's of architectural styles, building ages, urban space uses from commercial to governmental to cultural, and varied economic, ethnic, religious and racial groups integrate to tell a city story.

Features of classic Chicago buildings, including the Marquette Building, Federal Center, Daley Center, Thompson Center and the landmark Reliance Building are examined during the tour. The tour culminates with a visit to Millennium Park, the ultimate Chicago intersection where world-class art and architecture continue traditions of juxtaposing old and new and celebrates our culture's similarities and differences.

March - November, 2008: Mondays and Wednesdays at 11am Chicago Old and New offers the dual pleasures of seeing over 130 years of Chicago architecture – from the 1870’s to the present – while examining how intersections of streets, styles, and cultures communicate history and reflect the vibrancy of the city.

At five major intersections in the Loop, you will view buildings as elements that combine to create Chicago’s unique urban fabric. The tour adds richness to the experience of seeing important Chicago architecture by comparing the histories, styles, and uses of buildings located within sight of each other at these intersections. The tour examines how buildings and public art have influenced each other and evolved to reflect a variety of architectural styles, advances in building technology, and Chicago’s place as one of America’s great cities.

The tour features buildings from the Chicago School, the Beaux Arts movement, mid-20th century Modernism, Post-modernism, and the latest in architecture as designed by Frank Gehry and Renzo Piano. Included in the tour are examples of commercial, municipal and cultural buildings such as the Marquette Building, Federal Center, Daley Center, Thompson Center, and the landmark Reliance Building. The tour culminates with a visit to Millennium Park, the ultimate Chicago intersection, where world-class art and architecture combine to juxtapose old and new while celebrating our culture’s similarities and differences.

• March - November: Mondays and Wednesdays at 11am

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Though you may have already visited the Park, our in-depth tour is sure to enhance your knowledge and experience. Learn why this area was conspicuously left blank in the 1909 Plan of Chicago. Find out how top architects, artists and engineers collaborated with Chicago’s movers and shakers to transform an ugly railway and parking lot into a place that has thrilled millions and become the envy of cities throughout the world. Understand the inspiration for Anish Kapoor’s huge reflective Cloud Gate sculpture, nicknamed the “Bean,” or Jaume Plensa’s ever-changing high-tech Crown Fountain or Frank Gehry’s exuberant Jay Pritzker Music Pavilion and sculptural BP Bridge. Discover the many ways that Kathryn Gustafson’s Lurie Garden symbolizes Chicago history. See why the Park is the world’s largest roof garden.

And for five months beginning on June 19, 2009, view the temporary pavilions dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Burnham Plan designed by internationally-acclaimed architects Zaha Hadid and Ben Van Berkel.

• April: Friday and Sunday at 11am
• May – September: Friday and Sunday at 11am
• October – November: Friday and Sunday at 11am

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The only tour to take you from the lakefront, through the locks and along the river, the Seadog River & Lake Architecture Tour is your best choice for experiencing Chicago. Beginning at Navy Pier, our memorable 75-minute entertaining, memorable and amusing river & lake architectural cruise features exciting views and humorous descriptions of Chicago’s most famous architecture, landmarks and history combined with an exciting boat ride aboard the Seadog!

This exciting, descriptive, 75-minute Seadog architecture tour:

• Departs directly from popular and easy to find Navy Pier
• Includes passage through the historic Chicago River Locks and up the Chicago River to Sears Tower
• Includes a river architectural tour and a speedboat ride along the lakefront

Multiple Departures Monday-Friday: 11:15AM, 1:15PM, 3:15PM, 5:15PM

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The only tour to take you from the lakefront, through the locks and along the river, the Seadog River & Lake Architecture Tour is your best choice for experiencing Chicago. Beginning at Navy Pier, our memorable 75-minute entertaining, memorable and amusing river & lake architectural cruise features exciting views and humorous descriptions of Chicago’s most famous architecture, landmarks and history combined with an exciting boat ride aboard the Seadog!

This exciting, descriptive, 75-minute Seadog architecture tour:

• Departs directly from popular and easy to find Navy Pier
• Includes passage through the historic Chicago River Locks and up the Chicago River to Sears Tower
• Includes a river architectural tour and a speedboat ride along the lakefront

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Join Shoreline on an exciting journey as we tour the Chicago River and its architectural landmarks. Professional guides recount the dramatic story of Chicago's rise from the Great Fire of 1871 to become the home of the skyscraper and the cradle of modern American architecture. Along the one-hour route are buildings by world-famous architects including Mies van der Rohe, Skidmore Owings & Merrill and Helmut Jahn. Our complimentary map and guide is yours to keep as a souvenir of your cruise.

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Join Shoreline on an exciting journey as we tour the Chicago River and its architectural landmarks. Professional guides recount the dramatic story of Chicago's rise from the Great Fire of 1871 to become the home of the skyscraper and the cradle of modern American architecture. Along the one-hour route are buildings by world-famous architects including Mies van der Rohe, Skidmore Owings & Merrill and Helmut Jahn. Our complimentary map and guide is yours to keep as a souvenir of your cruise.

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General admission to the world famous Skydeck Chicago at Willis Tower!

103 and The Ledge NOW OPEN: The Ledge brings an exhilarating new experience to the Skydeck. At 1,353 feet up, The Ledge’s glass boxes extend out 4.3 feet from the skyscraper’s Skydeck on the 103rd floor, providing never-before-seen views of the city.

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