Chicago: architecture and sculpture in the open air

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Chicago is one of the largest American metropolises. The city is located along the southwestern coast of Lake Michigan. Chicago is located in a privileged geographical area that locates it at the center of the United States’ road and rail network. Main commercial center of the Middle West, the city is also the most important railway junction of the United States. A vast network of canals connects it directly to the Gulf of Mexico (via Mississippi) and to the Atlantic Ocean (via the Great Lakes).

This city was founded in 1803, but already in the late 19th century it was one of the most important in the United States. The center of the city where the business and shopping area is located is the famous “The Loop”. Here are mainly large hotels, shopping centers and the headquarters of major companies and banks. Just north, along Michigan Avenue is Chicago’s most elegant shopping area: the “Magnificent Mile”. In the central area of the city there are also some large green spaces such as Grant Park – characterized by a large fountain, Jackson Park, and Lincoln Park. Chicago also has a famous zoo: the Chicago Zoological Park.

AN OPEN SKY MUSEUM OF ARCHITECTURE AND MODERN SCULPTURE

Chicago is a pleasant city full of surprises, and it is practically an open-air museum of architecture and sculpture: the famous Chicago school of architecture which included Louis Sullivan and Frank Loyd Wright has left an indelible mark on the physiognomy of the city.

This was the city of Frank Loyd Wright and boasts 60 works by the famous architect. Other architectural works worth seeing include Louis Sullivan’s Auditorium Theater and the city’s symbol, the Sears Tower, which with its 443 meters high has been the tallest skyscraper in the world for years. The Marina City of Chicago, built between 1964 and 1965 by Bertrand Goldberg, is an excellent example of architectural integration between offices and homes.

A statue of Pablo Picasso stands in front of the Civic Center. While a mosaic by Marc Chagall is in the First National Plaza. In other squares there are some works by Calder. While at the University of Chicago there is the bronze sculpture “Nuclear Energy” by Henry Moore.

Among the many museums in the city we find the Art Institute, with a rich collection of European paintings. The Museum of Natural History which is one of the most important museums in the world of its kind, has collections of geology, prehistory, botany, archeology, zoology and anthropology. Another very interesting museum is the Museum of Science and Industry focused on scientific, industrial and medical progress.

HOW TO GET

The city is served by the Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) which is connected by flights with the main cities of North America, the Caribbean and Europe. The airport is located about 25 km north-west of the city center.

The climate of Chicago: when to go.

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