Highrises

Back by popular demand, Highrises reopens at the Chicago Architecture Center on May 31 and runs through August 25. The limited exhibition showcases selected photographs from artist Chris Hytha’s collection of nearly 200 skyscrapers from across the United States. Hytha’s work shines a particular spotlight on Art Deco towers from the 1920s, highlighting ornate details at the tops of these buildings that are often difficult to see from the street.

The CAC has curated larger photographs that focus on Chicago and the Midwest, with smaller images of buildings located throughout the U.S.. To compose each image, Hytha takes multiple high-resolution scans of a building with his drone, digitally modifying them and adding a panoramic background from the same location. All building images are accompanied by short stories about their significance and the people behind them, written by historian Mark Houser.