Chicago | Winter 2024

The Compressed City

City centers of any size typically develop in a manner that leads to a density that can overwhelm a visitor.  Within this setting the urban streetscape can only be experienced in a close, sometimes claustrophobic way.  It can be difficult to step back and observe a city with a broader context.  Chicago offers a unique opportunity in its waterfront and river walk.  The water offers an absence an opportunity to view the city from some distance.  The following photos demonstrate a perspective intentionally devoid of the context and complexity of street level, shrinking distances to reveal new relationships between buildings.