My Last weekend

Well, almost finished my Chicago experience. But I am happy, I really enjoyed the city and its possibilities. In addition, the extraordinary architecture, free concerts, good and cheap restaurants I made new friends and had a very good teachers. I made also a good contacts in the Architecture School of IIT, and found good new information for my research about the best houses of the Modern Movement.
This trp was very intense, therefore, I think I did twelve months in one.
In my last weekend, I  didn't stop.  I went in the Italy Party in Little Italy, Air and Water Show and the Museum of Science and Industry. It was  very nice and ntersting last weekend!

One experience

Yesterday was one special day for me. I wrote from Brazil for to Mr. Robert Babbin, one veteran teacher on Architecture School at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He is research coordinator group and was Mies van der Rhoe student. I'd to like know him and I scheduled a meeting on my last week in Chicago, because I think was better for my communication skill in English. Yesterday, after the Adler Planetarium visit, I had the pleasure to visit  one of the most beautiful apartment on the Astor Street, decorated like one museum built in the 50's.
Mr. Robert showed me his works, talked me about his academic life and finally gave me one engraving with sky-line Chicago. He is one artist also! Amazing.
To finish one perfect day, we went with his nice wife to have dinner in a Greek restaurant, with great good food  white wine. In restaurant we talk ed about architecture and the contemporary life. Was great for me because I felt better that now I can understand well and speak more confortable  in English.

But isn't all day that I can do it with one Mies Van der Rhoe disciple.

Sunday

In the last Sunday, I am woke-up later. I was very tired. So I went to Lou Mitchel for the brunch and I ate one very delicious eggs fried with cottage cheese plate. After thhe brunch, I went to the Union Station  to see the place where Brian de Palma did the movie "The untouchables", one history about Al Capone. After I went buy bought Jazz and Blues CDs in the very traditional store on the Illinois Street corner Wabash. Finally, at the night I went to the Wacker Park, in the  Club where I knew very nice peoples.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday

Thursday in Chicago is Friday in Brazil! Because is my last weekday. Afternoon, after the lunch we went to the Chicago Arts Museum, with Cathy. The very beautiful building, designed by the Italan architect Renzo Piano, is very nice for to see expositions. many natural lights in the circulations and very well control in the expositions rooms. The Magrit's exposition was organized like the concept "box in box": One museum inside other. But for me, the best always is the Modern Art, and The Chicago Arts Museum have a big Collection: Mondrian, Picasso, Malevitch, Theo Van does Bourg and same Joaquin Torres Garcia, the Uruguayan author of the phrase: "Nuestro Norte es el Sur" (Our North is the South). After the class me and my classmates went to Green Mills. The Green Mills was one indication from my friend  that lives in Chicago. Is a Cocktail Lounge where Al Capone and his friends attending. The bar have same today, tunnels for to get way. Can be useful yet...
The jazz was amazing and many couples danced frantically.

Friday I went with Ana Paula for the University of Chicago and Illinois Institute of Technology for show her the buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rhoe and Rem Koolhas. We visited the Robie House, the avant-garde house builds in the campus by Wright and, the Crown Hall, the misean building, today the  School of Architecture, and McCormick Center by Koolhas in IIT.
Saturday me and Danielle went to the beach. This was the really first day on vacations since I arrive here. I slept on the sand for some hours! The Michigan Lake is cool! The water is green, transparent, and have the waves like the sea! Is strange because the water is sweet.... And is very funny bathing in front the Hangkok Center!

The last two Days

Thusday I went in the Chicago Cultural Center. The building was the old Library and have very beautifuls domes designed by Tiffany. We saw the exposition about the Chicago contemporary design and after we walked to the Burnham's Fountain. One representative piece of the Beaux-Arts in E.U.A. After I visited the Rockery Building, one more important work by Burnhan with the Frank Lloyd Wrigth contribution in the lobby. At night, me and some classmates went to baseball soccer where we saw the worse match of White Sox in the year...
Today I had a class with Otavio and we visited the Federal Bank of Chicago. Very interesting but the video a few boring. In the sunset evening I went to Navy Pier for see the Chiago's Skyline and after for the concert in the Millennium Park, where I found my classmates and the teacher Glen and his family.
For to close a day, one little beer in the Rush street.

Visit to Chicago History Museum

The Chicago History Museum is cool. Is not a big museum but the museology is very didactic and well designed. I liked many things, but sure, for me the architecture section always is more exciting. I saw some Frank Lloyd Wright furniture and glasses, little pieces from Louis Sullivan's and Adler's buildings and very interesting information about the Chicago School.
For example, I didn't know that Moholy-Nagy was invited by the Chicago Association of Arts and Industries to organize a new Bauhaus in U.S.A, in 1933, when the Nazis closed the original school in Dessau. And I didn't know either that Walter Gropius, the very famous architect and founder the Bauhaus, worked in Chicago too.
Finally, I saw a poster of Dick Tracy, my favorite comics around the 50's, with an image of
 Maria, my teacher!

What I'd like know more?

Chicago City is the best place in the world for see architecture. In Chicago you can know about the historical buildings like Beaux-Arts style, designed by Burnman architect or the transition from traditional  for modern architecture, like Chicago Schools building, designed by Louis Sullivan and Adler Architects or yet the Modern Movement, on the houses designed for Frank Lloyd Whright and Mies van der Rhoe. I'd like visit to contemporany architecture like Rem Koolhas architecture.

My personal informations

My name is Sergio. I was born in Porto Alegre in the South Brazil. My major is architecture and I'm teacher in the UniRitter, one school of net's Laureatte International Universities. I came to Chicago for improve my English but for research North American residences architecture also. Chicago is Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rhoe' s City where the American and German  architects did their better works.
I would like know the Blues and Jazz places too.

Advices about Chicago

The first and more important advice about Chicago: Bring very good and comfortable shoes. And more if you to be Gwen's student. Chicago in Summer is great. The streets are very crowded with tourists, musicians and performers. That was surprise for me. I had other idea about Chicago. The wind city, have a cold and individualist image in foreign. The last and no less important to know about Chicago: Have a very good architecture and is one more beautiful modern Urbanism in the world.

About Frank Lloyd Wright and Park

It is very difficult for people to recognize the values of originals when they begin, because today they are in common.  Frank Lloyd Wright's work is that. His architecture today is the common  sense, but he, together with avant garde architects of the Modern Movement, invented the contemporany life. Oark Park is the transition between the traditional, the classical, the historical buildings and reactionary society for the progressive and flexible life. The modern art is this and the Laura Gale House, for example, represents this ideal.

My first weekend in Chicago

Well, Thursday after class, I took the El, on the Brown Line, just to last station in the north. I saw very beautiful roofs and woody neighborhoods. I came back  down town without sign out the train and I went to eat hot dog and Italian sandwich in the Portillos Restaurant on State street. But this was very peppery...
Friday I did one tour with Chicago Architecture Foundation in Oark ParK to see Frank Lloyd Wright's houses. I visited his home and studio, and four  more houses he designed. That was exciting... In the afternoon I went walk to Gold Coast, for see Frank Lloyd Wright's buildings also, when he worked with Louis Sullivan, his master in the early works. I saw too the Hugh Hefner house also....In the sunset evening I rode up in the Hangcok Observatory and I did one sketch of the view.  Finally I visited the Lake Shore Drive buildings, designed by Mies van der Rhoe, the German architect. Very, very beautiful buildings by night. I walked for house very tired.
Saturday I did one tour with CAF also named "Sullivan: Lost and found" for visit Louis Sullivan's buildings and fragments  at his demolished buildings. Very intersting. After I went to Fashion Out-Let for buy cheap clothes and lunch. By night I went dinner in Rush street corner State St., the Viagra Block...
Sunday, more one time I did one tour with CAF just to Farnsthworth House designate by Mies van der Rhoe for his lovers, M. Farnsworth. The house, for weekends and summers days is one the wonders for architecture world. I cried when arrived there...
In the afternoon I met my friend Cristiano and his family, Adriana, Luiza and Lucas. They have lived here for fourteen years and we went dinner in the wicker square. That was a good weekend!

My first time in Chicago

This is my fourth time traveling to the USA. The first was to NYC, the second to Buffalo ( when I lived in Montreal for specialization studies) and then to Orlando with my son. In NYC, I started my work for the Guggenheim Museum, the very beautiful building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. In Buffalo I went to Niagara Falls and in Orlando i went to Epcot Center.
In Chicago I began my trip with Genzken's exhibit. This was one strong experience. Unforgettable.... I don`t like contemporary art because I don`t like the relativism, where all is good and all is possible. I love the freedom, and the plurality, but  humanity need archetypes for civilization and relationship. This, for me, is the same as the art, like music and painting, sculpture, movies and architecture. Common sense is very important. Imagine  if each person tried to make a revolution. If each architect tried one understanding building and each artist tried only his vision? That would be crazy.  I like Isa Genzken's research about the concrete spaces, but it`s very specific context.