February Photo Contest Winner Announced

The escalator leading to the second floor lobby of the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Rosemont, Illinois.

Congratulations to Margaret Dawn, winner of this month’s At-a-Glance photo contest. The correct answer to our trivia question is “Hyatt Regency O'Hare.” Access to the February edition of STC Chicago At-a-Glance is available here.

Be sure to register for this year's Technical Communication Summit before March 30 to receive the Early Bird  discount registration rate. Details are available at the Summit website.

January At-a-Glance Features Museum of Contemporary Art

There were no winners in this month's At-a-Glance Photo Contest. Here's another look at the photo that stumped our readers. Oh, sure. It's easy to recognize this as the main staircase at the Museum of Contemporary Art now that the pressure is off. Better luck next month!

By the way, we've created a new page devoted to the photo contest. Check this page each month for details about the contest.

Lake Shore Drive Featured in At-a-Glance Photo Contest

A photo of Lake Shore Drive (a.k.a. LSD) is featured in this month's At-a-Glance photo contest.

This roadway was once referred to as Leif Ericson Drive, and later, Field Boulevard. Learn more about LSD here, or read a recent Chicago Sun-Times review of Neal Samors and Bernard Judge's new book, Lake Shore Drive: Urban America’s Most Beautiful Roadway.

To learn the name of this month's contest winner, visit www.stc-chicago.org.

Aqua Tower Featured in November Issue of At-a-Glance

The Aqua Tower is featured in this month's At-a-Glance photo contest. Designed by Chicago architect Jeanne Gang, Aqua was named "International Skyscraper of the Year" in 2009. In the Emporis Skyscraper award citation, judges noted the building's

dynamic and fascinating visual appearance, its application of green building techniques to large-scale residential construction, and its innovative use of satellite-based positioning technology in precision construction methods.

To read more about architect Gang's work and her interest in sustainable design, see this GreenSource case study.

To learn the name of this month's contest winner, visit www.stc-chicago.org.

Harold Washington Library Featured in October At-a-Glance

This month's At-a-Glance contest featured a photo of the Harold Washington Library located on State Street in Chicago. The cropped photo showed only the glass façade of the uppermost floors and the large aluminum figures -- also known as acroteria -- perched at the rooftop's edge. See a photo of the building here.

Some of you objected to Travel + Leisure magazine's 2009 characterization of the building as "one of the world's ugliest." Next month, we'll try to bring some balance back into the picture when we feature the Lakeshore East building recently selected as winner of the prestigious Emporis Skyscraper Award.

Learn the name of this month's photo contest winner at www.stc-chicago.org.

Bascule Bridge Featured in September At-a-Glance

The September issue of At-a-Glance featured the Lake Street Bridge -- a double-decked, double-leaf, bascule-style bridge, and only one of two bridges in Chicago to carry the Chicago El on its top level. For more information about the Lake Street Bridge, see Life magazine's Bridges of the Chicago River.

The name of this month's winner can be found at www.stc-chicago.org.

Navy Pier Featured in Photo Contest

Congratulations to those who participated in this month's At-a-Glance photo contest. Each of our respondents correctly identified the mysterious structure looming in the background of our photo. What's that? You didn't have a clue? Well, then, the correct answer is Navy Pier.

While we receive many correct responses each month, we can only have one winner. You'll find the name of this month's winner posted at www.stc-chicago.org. If you'd like to subscribe to STC Chicago At-a-Glance, our monthly eDigest, please submit your email address via this online form. View our At-a-Glance archive here.

University Center Featured in July At-a-Glance

The University Center was featured in this month's edition of STC Chicago At-a-Glance. Is it a coincidence that this is also the location for the third annual Chicago eLearning & Technology Showcase? We don't think so.

The cropped photo that appeared in our photo contest showed only a portion of the building's famous facade. Still, we received several correct replies in response to our challenge. Here is another look at the building from a different angle, as seen from the corner of State Street and Congress Parkway.

For more information about the event, see Chicago eLearning & Technology Showcase.

(Photo courtesy of the University Center Conference Chicago.)

At-a-Glance Photo Contest Results

April 2010

As it turns out, we didn't have a winner in April. This marks only the second time in the history of our contest that we've stumped everyone. Take another look at the photo. Still don't know the answer? It's 333 Wacker Drive. Need to see a different a different angle of the building and learn more about its history? Check out this Wikipedia entry about 333 Wacker Drive.

May 2010

We admit it. Those who attended the STC Summit in Dallas this year may have had a bit of an advantage in May. The Dallas skyline was featured in the May edition of STC Chicago At-a-Glance. Take another look at the photo.

June 2010

The Adler Planetarium was featured our photo contest this month. Were you able to identify it? The contest winner's name can be found at www.stc-chicago.org.

By the way, the Planetarium recently launched a new website. Check it out!

University of Chicago Building Featured in At-a-Glance

In January, the At-a-Glance contest featured a photo of the Max Palevsky Residential Commons. Located on the Hyde Park campus of the University of Chicago, this postmodern building was designed by Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta.

Congratulations to those who responded with the correct answer! For the name of this month's winner, see www.stc-chicago.org.

BP Bridge Featured in December At-a-Glance

The BP Bridge was featured in this month's At-a-Glance newsletter. Opened to the public in 2004, this pedestrian walkway connects Millennium Park with Daley Bicentennial Plaza. Click here to see more photos of the bridge and its surroundings.

Our photo contest winner will receive a $20 gift card from Amazon.com, courtesy of STC Chicago. The winner's name is posted on the homepage of our website.

Modern Wing of the Art Institute Featured in November At-a-Glance

This month's At-a-Glance photo contest featured the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago. Learn more about the Modern Wing and its designer, Renzo Piano, at Architecture Week magazine.

Several of you responded to our challenge with the correct answer. Kudos to all! However, we can only have one winner. As always with our contest, the first person to respond with the correct answer takes the prize. You'll find the name of this month's winner at the STC Chicago website.

Photo Contest Featured Chicago Skyway Sign

This month’s photo contest featured the neon sign located at the Chicago Skyway tollbooth. Travelers apparently like the looks of this Chicago landmark. People can often be seen taking photos of the sign while waiting in line to pay the toll. Many of those photos can be found online at Flickr.com, where a quick search will yield at least 455 results.

Visit www.stc-chicago.org to learn who correctly identified this month's photo and won a $20 gift card from Amazon.com.

Cancer Survivor's Memorial in Winter White

This month's At-a-Glance Photo Contest featured a closeup of the metal pavilion found at Cancer Survivor's Garden in Chicago. This beautiful garden is tucked away at the far end of East Randolph Street near Chicago's lakefront.

If you look closely at this photo, you'll notice the Field Museum of Natural History in the distance, along a stretch of South Lakeshore Drive.

Congratulations are due to this month's contest winner and to all who participated. The winner will receive a $20 gift card from Amazon.com. To learn who that winner is, visit www.stc-chicago.org.

(Photo Credit: W. Kelly Oja)

Are They Holiday Cherubs or Everyday Cherubs?

In the spirit of giving, we’re happy to announce that one of our readers identified this month’s mystery photo right away. The cherubs in question adorn terra-cotta panels on the Fisher Building, located on South Dearborn Street in the Loop.


Originally designed by Charles Atwood, the building was completed by Chicago’s D. H. Burnham & Co. in 1896. The aquatic-themed façade plays on the name of the building's original owner, Lucius G. Fisher. Light, airy, and highly ornamented with fantastic beasts and sea creatures, the Fisher makes quite a contrast with the dark, solid, Monadnock Building, which directly faces it across Dearborn.

I originally intended to document the Monadnock, but due to lighting conditions and sight angles, I picked the Fisher Building instead. As it turns out, this was a good choice, as fanciful cherubs are much more suitable for our holiday theme!

If you would like to visit the building, you'll find it at 343 South Dearborn. Be sure to check out the ornamental glass door panels while you're there. And to see who won December's prize--a $20 Amazon.com gift certificate--take a look at the STC Chicago website.