Located on Michigan Avenue across from the Art Institute, the Chicago Architecture Foundation Store is in the middle of a tourist hub. They have a wide selection of guidebooks and Chicago paraphernalia, but they also carry hard-to-find books and well-designed housewares. Their architectural guides are a must for visitors and natives alike. (We recommend the AIA Guide for a great overview of the city's best buildings.) More below.
Shown in Top Photo:
• Frank Lloyd Wright Card Case, $34
• Frank Lloyd Wright Coonley Playhouse Tile, $155
• Frank Lloyd Wright Metal Coaster Set, $45
Items to check out include the Louis Sullivan wall stencils, the Frank Lloyd Wright collection, and their extensive selection of books on everything from Chicago bungalows to the Graceland Cemetery Guide. Housewares range from globes to clocks to modern tea sets. All purchases benefit CAF programming.
• Architecture in Detail: Chicago, $12.95
• AIA Guide to Chicago, 2nd Edition, $30
• Chicago Apartments: A Century of Lakefront Luxury, $75
• The Chicago School of Architecture, $30
Copyright © 2008 Apartment Therapy
Frank Lloyd Wright's patterns always act like meditation mazes for me if I look at them for more than a few seconds. As for Chicago, my favorite city, I love visiting partly because it's so rich with amazing architecture, both residentials and commercial. And it's such a great walking city, it's easy to see a lot on foot. Strangely, I never made it into the Foundation, though I would walk by it a lot. I really need to pay another visit soon.
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I used to live in Chicago but have been in Seattle for the last 10 years. A business trip will take me back to CHI later in the month. Anyone want to weigh in on their "must visit" shops for a gentle mid-century buff who's getting ready for the spring cure?
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nikkicole, in our Chicago store guide we have a section dedicated to Mid-C shops: click here to see them. Have fun on your trip!
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