Jay Pritzer Pavilion Chicago IL

Spending many summers in Chicago has allowed me to see a decent amount of the city, though no where near all of it.  During these past couple decades there have been lots of new architectural additions, especially in public places.  Grant Park has seen many changes and Millennium Park has some of the most interesting architecture that I have had the pleasure of seeing first hand.

The first day of class seeing the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles I thought that I had seen something similar in Chicago.  I don't doubt that that architect that designed the Jay Pritzer Pavilion in Millennium Park drew much influence from the Disney Concert Hall.


I was quite young the first time I visited the Pritzer Pavilion, I believe it had just opened and I wasn't even in high school yet.  I was just starting to really find my own taste and passion for music, I had never dreamed of such a music venue, it was unreal.  The stage itself, with its curling metal reminiscent of a shell or a flower, is quite amazing.  The vast open space in front of the stage is to me a utopian idea, as I believe there are often shows put on at the pavilion that are free to the public.  I'm jealous because I've never actually been there while a show was being played.



This aerial photo is something I had not seen until I was looking for other photos of the Pritzer Pavilion.  The first one I took and being under the spiderweb of metal strands is quite interesting, it does not feel confining at all, though the experience is a little surreal.  The strands house speakers and lights, so that people sitting on the open lawn can hear the musicians playing, which I think is a great way to utilize an inspiring architectural design. It's not only an experience being under the metal web, but the web serves a purpose, to me making it great architecture.

It's still very high up on my list of things to do to attend a concert at this venue, hopefully at night because these photos I've found of it at night make it look truly spectacular.  The fact that it is a public park, and not one that is solely for profitable shows, is something that gives me hope.  I would hope that other cities would look to examples such as this and wish to bring amazing architecture to their citizens.