The Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago

  Scroll down for more pictures  

Click here to upload your photos of The Pritzker Pavilion

• Week Links: May 18, 2012
• Slice of Life: Hollyhock on Patrol
• Slice of Life: Signs of the Zodiac
• Wright in the Sun
• How Not to Camouflage a Skyscraper

More...

• RT @KellyJonesinChi: inconvenience in the south loop today a small price 2 pay 4 being safe in our neighborhood.Thank u CPD! #NATO - Mon, 21 May
• "We're gonna stand here as long as it takes!" -Occupy Chicago spokeschick just before she ran from police. #NATO #Occupy #Lame - Mon, 21 May
• RT @Suntimes: Obama on #NATO: “Why is everybody making such a big fuss? This isn’t as big as Taste of Chicago.” http://t.co/rMMGq16o #NATO - Sun, 20 May
• There are 21 boats with machine guns parked in the Chicago River downtown | The Chicago Architecture Blog http://t.co/6BH66RUd - Fri, 18 May
• Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West now 100% solar powered | The Chicago Architecture Blog http://t.co/WQz3MbDe #architecture #scottsdale #AZ

See more Tweets...

Posted to the Flickr Pool by joshuamellin

Add your photos!

Michigan Avenue at Randolph, Chicago, Illinois, Millennium Park 60601

← Previous   Random   Next →

Tweet

Print this page   •   Share this page   •   Map This

Intended to be the centerpiece of Chicago's Millennium Park, the Pritzker Pavilion is both an acoustical and an architectural wonder. Architect Frank Ghery delivered another one of his playful steel creations. It appears as though the music has burst through a wall, sending the torn strips of metal curling back with the force of the blow. The curving metal forms the roof of a 4,000-seat amphitheater. Additional seating for 7,000 is available on the adjacent Great Lawn. This grassy knoll is covered with an amazing curved trellis from which hang lights and speakers. The sound delivered by the speakers is delayed to coincide with the arrival of natural sound from the orchestra. This cancels out any echoing effects and makes the viewer believe they are hearing the orchestra live from an impossible distance.

While Gehry's signature style is welcomed by municipalities around the world, it may just be his undoing. There was a story going around Chicago in 2002 that Ghery wanted to do something original and unique with the Pritzker Pavilion, but the people paying for it said, "no." They wanted an authentic Ghery building with curving glittering steel billowing from the structure. They got what they wanted, and Ghery may just be a victim of his own success.

Rate This Entertainment Venue

method='post' action='/Building.php?ID=1248#Rate'>Current rating: 70%  name='Rating' id='Rating' value='Praise' class='Plain'> name='Rating' id='Rating' value='Raze' class='Plain'>

Click here to upload your photos of The Pritzker Pavilion

Your Thoughts

There are four comments.

  apparently the other commentors didnt read that it was the financers who wanted the "signature" Gehry style. Gehry himself wanted to do something new.. read the article people!!

chimpsey - Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010 @ 4:58am  

  i like Gehry's vision. but i think no more duplicates needed.so i worry about gehry's next istanbul concert hall. apparently he will never quit with this approach..

kemal - Sunday, December 21st, 2008 @ 4:37am  

  I love the Bilbao Guggenheim, but I'm frankly tired of seeing the same Gehry structure repeated all over the world. Something fresh from him would be welcomed.

sarbanharble - Monday, December 10th, 2007 @ 3:43pm  

  i love Frank Gehry's work! he is the architect of the future!

SUSIE - Thursday, October 19th, 2006 @ 11:50am