ABSTRACT
Chicago is the third-largest city in the United States and the most populated city in Illinois. The main stimulus for the development of Chicago was a great fire which destroyed much of the city and led to a huge building boom. As part of this, Chicago was one of the first cities to see the potential of the skyscraper, developing the first steel-framed building and the ‘skyscraper culture’ in the United States, leading the world in a modern urban typology. The city became a magnet for architecture and design, drawing the finest architects and designers to make their mark in the city. Through the early and mid-twentieth century, Chicago’s land was used for steel mills, rail-car factories and car plants, and is epitomised by the interior work by Davis Allen for the Skidmore, Owings and Merrill Architectural firm which was founded in Chicago in 1936. Chicago sets the mode and tone of a modern global city.
