Tour Racine with the Chicago Architecture Foundation!
July 27, 2012
At first glance Racine is just another city between Chicago and Milwaukee, home to SC Johnson & Son Company. But Racine is not just a small city. It houses some of the most famous architectural icons of the 20th and 21st centuries.
These include Frank Lloyd Wright’s Johnson Wax Headquarters buildings – the Administration Building and Research Tower. One of the most prominent architectural features here is the Great Room with its “mushroom-shaped pillars” which is still in use by SC Johnson employees. The Golden Rondelle Theater is one of the other attractions on the trip. Designed initially for the 1964-65 New York’s World Fair it resembles a UFO with its golden dome. Racine also hosts within the SC Johnson campus another structure of great architectural significance. This is the Fortaleza Hall building designed by Sir Norman Foster. Named after a Brazilian city, you can even experience the soundscape of Brazil within the building! The tour will also explore what Racine has to offer outside the Johnson Campus including an architectural tour of the Racine Art Museum (RAM) designed by award winning Chicago-based architects Brininstool + Lynch. RAM's bold architecture is the result of a renovation of several existing structures with portions built as long ago as the late 1800s.
Depending on availability we may have an opportunity to visit historic Wingspread, the celebrated house F.L. Wright designed for the Johnson Family. The house was designed using materials like brick and limestone that was used to “anchor” the house to the earth.
This one-day tour to Racine is open to CAF Members only. Space is limited!
For more information about these amazing sites visit the following links:
Video Introduction of Golden Rondelle Theater and Frank Lloyd Wright's Administration Building
Fortaleza Hall - 'Inspired Architecture'
Discover 'Wingspread'
To reserve your space, complete the registration form below. For more information please contact Member Services at 312.322.1140.
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