From towering buildings to unique installations, Chicago has long built its reputation as a hub where creative architectural ideas are born. During the Chicago Architecture Biennial held in 2023, several exhibitions showcased different architectural gems in the city, including a reimagined version of the iconic S.R. Crown Hall and efforts to create sustainable designs. The showcase boasted famous sights and landmarks that make Chicago a notable city of architecture and art.
Capturing these structural gems is a good way for architects to stay inspired and push the boundaries of design. Today, tools like smartphones and digital cameras have made it easier for anyone to take photos or record videos. Apart from these tools, emerging tech also shows promise. The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, in particular, can help you capture your surroundings in real time, allowing you to record and study these references for your architectural practice later on. Below, we look at why smart glasses are the best tool for helping you capture architectural inspiration in Chicago.
What Chicago has to Offer
Chicago is a cradle of incredible urban architecture, and several landmarks are a testament to the Windy City’s reputation. For instance, the Rookery Building, a National Historic Landmark, features a unique construction style that combines modern structural techniques with influences from late Roman and medieval European architecture, as seen in its facade. Meanwhile, the Chicago Cultural Center, initially the city’s first central library, boasts two stained-glass domes, marble pillars, and a blunt-ended U-shaped design. Along the historic Chicago River, you’ll find other gems like the Michigan Avenue Bridge, with sculptures representing pivotal events in the city’s history.
One of the most notable designs in the area can be found in Marina City, a mixed-use residential and commercial complex that sought to redefine the concept of urban living. The cylindrical skyscrapers, designed by Chicago native Bertrand Goldberg, are an instant eyecatcher, featuring petal-shaped balconies and natural forms that contrast the typical box-like buildings that were prominent in the architectural landscape when the complex was built. The curvilinear design and harmonious radial lines offer a striking visual effect, showcasing natural elements that make the structure stand out from other buildings in the Chicago skyline.
Notable Architects
Chicago wouldn’t be dubbed as the birthplace of modern architecture without the notable architects who helped shape the city’s landscape. Daniel Burnham is among those who left his mark on Chicago’s sprawling urban design. Best known for his role as the Director of Works for the 1892-1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, Burnham’s most famous works include The Rookery Building, Union Station, the Montauk Building, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Burnham embraced the neoclassical tradition and adhered to the Beaux-Arts principles of design, inspiring current architects to push the boundaries of classical architecture.
Another great architect who helped shape Chicago’s cityscape is Louis Sullivan, known as the father of skyscrapers and modernism. Sullivan mentored famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright and heavily influenced the Prairie School, an architectural movement known for its broad eaves, horizontal lines, and open floor plans. Today, there are 21 Sullivan-designed structures remaining in the city. His prominent works include the Chicago Stock Exchange and the Auditorium Building. Current architects can learn from Sullivan’s famous “form follows function” dictum, which means the building’s purpose should always be the foundation for its design.
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, one of the pioneers of modern architecture, also contributed to Chicago’s unique architectural landscape. He designed the IBM Plaza, One Illinois Center, and the Chicago Federal Center. Mies’s buildings are characterized by clean surfaces and open spaces, adhering to the design philosophy anchored on the “less is more” approach. Today’s modern architects can also follow suit by embracing the same technique, highlighting simplicity and functionality and eliminating unnecessary design elements.
Walking around the city is a great way for architects of all skill levels to study these diverse techniques and capture inspiration from the prominent designers who helped mold Chicago’s cityscape, but lugging around bulky camera equipment can make the process difficult. Fortunately, thanks to smart glasses, capturing these iconic designs is more convenient than ever. If you’re on the hunt for the perfect tool to help you take reference photos and videos while walking through Chicago, here’s what you need to know:
Picking the Right Smart Glasses
It’s essential to ensure your smart glasses are the right fit for you, as these specs are an investment for your practice and even your vision. The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, launched in 2023, can be equipped with prescription or polarized lenses, ensuring vision correction, eye protection, and visual comfort on top of their many features. They also come in a variety of frame and lens options, including the classic Wayfarers and Headliners.
If you’re not sure which option works best for you, you can leverage Glasses.com’s Virtual Mirror feature before making your purchase. This tool allows you to try on glasses online, helping you check if your preferred Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses frames are the perfect fit for your face shape. You can use your device’s camera and the tool’s AR feature to do this, eliminating the need to travel to a brick-and-mortar store for fitting.
Maximizing Features
While other smart glasses are available on the market, including the Chamelo Music Shield and Rokid Max, their features are limited. In contrast, the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are largely credited with the surge of interest in smart glasses, primarily due to their easy-to-use interface and various functions. These functions enable you to explore Chicago’s architectural marvels and capture inspiration hands-free. Here’s what you need to know:
1. Convenience of wearable tech
When roaming around the city, leveraging the benefits of the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses as a wearable tech device may be more convenient than bringing around a separate camera, especially if you also need to walk around with a sketchbook or a pad to draw or write ideas and observations about the different architectural pieces found in Chicago. With these smart glasses’ photo and video capabilities, you won’t have to take your phone or camera out while strolling around the city. When fully charged, the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses can last up to four hours with moderate use, including syncing and capturing up to 100 videos or up to 500 photos, which means you can capture more than enough materials for inspiration without any interruption.
2. Improved and accessible camera features
Capturing and recording renowned designs around Chicago are more accessible with smart glasses. You can simply press a button on the right frame stem to capture photos of stunning architectural pieces around the city. Aside from the convenience of taking photos without having to reach for your phone, the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses allow architects to capture and record landmarks in Chicago with an ultra-wide 12 MP camera that translates to high-quality photos and 1080p videos up to one minute, helping you observe the details when you study the pictures and videos as references for future designs. Pictures and videos are easily imported to the Meta View app before being saved to your phone camera roll.
3. AI-assisted landmark spotting
Meta AI, the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses’ voice assistant, and Meta smart glasses’ multimodal AI feature also enable architects to capture and record buildings hands-free. This feature can help process various types of information, including audio, photos, and text. You can activate the voice assistant by saying “Hey Meta” and commanding it to take photos or record videos while you focus on observing a particular building or design. The smart glasses’ AI feature can also describe landmarks and surroundings, helping you learn about a certain monument’s history or origins. This feature is also helpful if you’re lost wandering around the city or having difficulty navigating through areas that follow the same color scheme, such as the Union Station and the Auditorium Building.
Chicago is filled with marvelous structures from which architects of all ages can draw inspiration. Using smart glasses is a convenient way to capture the many incredible designs around the city hands-free and in real-time.
