Introduction from the president

My Kind of Town

There's been much talk lately about prominent local design commissions going to international "star" architects like Piano, Gehry and Legorreta. Some of us are excited by the prospect. What would Chicago be like today if, in the past, we hadn't invited a few strangers in? Others are troubled. Why are we being passed over like the boy-next-door for the rebel-without-a-cause? Many are frustrated. Why don't our local clients give us the same artistic freedom on smaller jobs they seek from out-of-towners on higher profile projects? In a city that got one of its most oft-used nicknames, The Windy City, because of the hot air our civic leaders have been known to blow, I'd say the debate was par for the course.

Fact is - whether you welcome the "the outsiders" for the creativity they're likely to bring or, consider them flies in the ointment - the Chicago architecture community is as vibrant as ever. As practitioners, we continue to garner high-profile international, national and local projects because of the skill and artistry we bring to our profession. Take for instance the projects honored in the 1999 Design Excellence Awards. The judges proclaimed The Hong Kong Convention Centre "pure, magnificent, architectural fun." Chapel of the Word, a deceptively simple project, received accolades for the way it used small wooden shapes to create a larger religious expression. And, of a dormitory at Tulane University one juror exclaimed, "I'd love to live there!"

Over 230 projects by local architects were entered in this year's design awards program. Thirty-four were singled out for excellence. Projects are entered in three divisions: distinguished building, interior architecture, and divine detail. Within those categories, awards are given in three ways. An Honor Award recognizes projects that are superior in their entirety. A Citation of Merit recognizes certain aspects of a project. And, a Special Recognition Award honors a project for one particular reason. The judges painstakingly review each entry and the debate between them is often spirited. The result is a selection of the best work of Chicago architects, and arguably some of the best work in the world.

James Jankowski, AIA

President AIA Chicago