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Daniel Burnham: The Latest Architecture and News

Make No Little Plans: A Brief History of Chicago Architecture

Chicago, The Windy City, Chi-Town, or The Second City. It’s a place that is known by many names, but to architects and urban planners alike, it’s famous for its history which has given us some of the best-known buildings and important advancements that have helped to shape other cities across the United States. From its inception, Chicago has long served as an architectural hub for innovation.

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Hulu Series to Feature the World Expo's "Murder Castle"

Hulu has announced that they will be adapting a story of H.H. Holmes, America’s first documented serial killer, into a television series on the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Based on the nonfiction book The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, the series will explore murder and architecture around the so-called “Murder Castle." The show will feature the labyrinthine structure that Holmes built and stories around architect Daniel H. Burnham's infamous World Expo.

AD Classics: World's Columbian Exposition / Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmsted

The United States had made an admirable showing for itself at the very first World’s Fair, the Crystal Palace Exhibition, held in the United Kingdom in 1851. British newspapers were unreserved in their praise, declaring America’s displayed inventions to be more ingenious and useful than any others at the Fair; the Liverpool Times asserted “no longer to be ridiculed, much less despised.” Unlike various European governments, which spent lavishly on their national displays in the exhibitions that followed, the US Congress was hesitant to contribute funds, forcing exhibitors to rely on individuals for support. Interest in international exhibitions fell during the nation’s bloody Civil War; things recovered quickly enough in the wake of the conflict, however, that the country could host the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876. Celebrating both American patriotism and technological progress, the Centennial Exhibition was a resounding success which set the stage for another great American fair: the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893.[1]

AD Classics: World's Columbian Exposition / Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmsted - Temporary Installations, ArchAD Classics: World's Columbian Exposition / Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmsted - Temporary Installations, FacadeAD Classics: World's Columbian Exposition / Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmsted - Temporary InstallationsAD Classics: World's Columbian Exposition / Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmsted - Temporary InstallationsAD Classics: World's Columbian Exposition / Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmsted - More Images+ 11

Exploring Chicago's Architectural Legacy Through 5 Exceptional Projects

Chicago has long been known for distinctive architecture, and this year’s inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial has only furthered that reputation. Although it is nearly impossible to narrow down the countless iconic structures, in celebration of the Biennial, we have compiled five Chicago buildings that highlight the many phases of the city’s architectural history.

Spotlight: Daniel Burnham

The impact Daniel H. Burnham had on urban planning and the American city is still felt today, many years after his death, on what would have been his 168th birthday. Over the course of his lucrative career, Burnham pioneered some of the world's first skyscrapers, inspired the City Beautiful Movement with his vision for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and created urban plans for numerous cities before urban planning even existed as a profession. Burnham said of his unusual large scale thinking, "Make no little plans, they have no magic to stir men's blood."

Make No Little Plans: Daniel Burnham and the American City

This documentary film explores the fascinating life and complex legacy of architect and city planner Daniel Hudson Burnham, famous for designing the Flatiron Building in New York, Union Station in Washington D.C., and the 1909 master plan for Chicago, among others.