Chicago-Midwest
To insure that its rich architectural legacy is preserved for generations to come, Docomomo US/Midwest Chapter raises the awareness and appreciation of modern architecture in Chicago and environs through lectures, meetings, walking tours and site visits. After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, architects like William LeBaron Jenny, Daniel Burnham, John Wellborn Root and Louis Sullivan flocked to Chicago to help rebuild the decimated city. The high-rise buildings that rose from the ashes redefined the architecture of the late 19th and early 20th century. They shed classical forms and heavy ornamentation in favor of structural expression. This spirit of innovation was tempered by the onset of the Great Depression and World War II, which brought a virtual halt to new construction.


Docomomo US/Northern California Chapter is raising the awareness of the Modern Movement's rich legacy in the Bay Area and throughout Northern California. The gentle California climate allowed Modern buildings to achieve a response to the outdoors that was not possible in European or East Coast climates. This produced not only a uniquely Modern plan, but a Modern approach to landscape design.