RSNA 2020: A Walking Tour of Chicago Architecture
Chicago’s architecture offers a remarkable second programme alongside any visit to the RSNA Annual Meeting. Between scientific sessions, radiology professionals could encounter steel-framed skyscrapers, grand civic buildings, historic theaters, and modern riverfront landmarks within a compact central area.
RSNA 2020 took place from 29 November to 4 December 2020, bringing the Radiological Society of North America’s global community to Chicago through its scientific assembly and exhibition programme. Although the meeting schedule was the priority, a carefully planned walk could add cultural context without requiring a long journey across the city.
The best route follows the Chicago River and the central Loop, where architectural history unfolds in layers. A short outing can reveal the city’s early commercial buildings, Art Deco towers, postwar designs, and contemporary glass structures in a single afternoon.
Start Near the Chicago River
The Chicago River is an excellent starting point for an architectural walking tour because it presents several eras from one vantage point. From the riverwalk, visitors can look upward at towers designed by major architects while watching bridges open and close across the water.
The Wrigley Building is especially recognizable, with its white terra-cotta façade and clock tower inspired by Spanish Renaissance design. Nearby, Tribune Tower combines Gothic details with a tall, dramatic profile. Fragments of famous buildings from around the world are embedded in its exterior, making a close inspection rewarding.
The riverwalk itself is also useful for orientation. It connects the downtown skyline to restaurants, public spaces, and pedestrian routes, allowing visitors to create a flexible excursion around meeting commitments.
Follow Michigan Avenue Into the Loop
From the river, the walk can continue south along Michigan Avenue toward the historic core. The avenue passes the DuSable Bridge, the former London Guarantee Building, and several landmarks associated with Chicago’s rise as a commercial center after the Great Chicago Fire.
The Chicago Cultural Center is a worthwhile indoor stop. Its grand interiors include a celebrated Tiffany glass dome, marble details, and ornament that contrasts with the restrained façades of many nearby office buildings. During a late-November visit, it also provides a warm pause between outdoor sections of the route.
A few blocks farther south, the Monadnock Building demonstrates the transition from masonry construction to modern skyscraper engineering. Its heavy stone walls and narrow windows reflect the structural limitations of the late nineteenth century, while later buildings nearby appear lighter and more vertically expressive.
Read the Skyline Through Its Structural Ideas
Chicago architecture becomes easier to understand when buildings are viewed as solutions to practical problems. The city’s early skyscrapers required new approaches to steel framing, elevators, foundations, and fire safety. Those innovations changed the appearance of downtown and influenced urban design around the world.
The Rookery Building, designed in part by John Wellborn Root and later remodeled by Frank Lloyd Wright, illustrates this evolution. Its exterior suggests commercial solidity, while its interior courtyard creates an unexpectedly bright and elegant space. The building’s layered history mirrors Chicago’s constant process of adaptation.
The Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower, presents a later stage in the story. Its bundled-tube structure enabled exceptional height and produced a distinctive stepped silhouette. When viewed from street level, the tower demonstrates how engineering decisions can become a building’s visual identity.
| Landmark | Architectural character | Suggested time |
|---|---|---|
| Wrigley Building | Spanish Renaissance-inspired terra cotta | 15 minutes |
| Chicago Cultural Center | Beaux-Arts interiors and Tiffany dome | 30–45 minutes |
| Rookery Building | Historic commercial architecture and ornate atrium | 20–30 minutes |
| Willis Tower | Modern structural engineering and skyline views | 45–60 minutes |
| Auditorium Building | Romanesque Revival design and historic performance space | 20 minutes |
Explore the South Loop’s Historic Landmarks
A longer walk can continue toward the South Loop, where the Auditorium Building offers a strong example of late nineteenth-century civic and cultural architecture. Designed by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler, it combines a hotel, offices, and performance venue within a monumental composition.
The building’s importance extends beyond its appearance. Its design helped establish Sullivan’s ideas about vertical expression and ornament, principles that influenced the development of the modern American skyscraper. Visitors interested in architecture, urban history, or design theory will find this area particularly rich.
The nearby Printers Row district adds a different atmosphere. Former publishing and printing buildings line quieter streets, providing a reminder that Chicago’s commercial identity was shaped by industries beyond finance and retail.
Compare Historic Detail With Modern Glass
Returning north or heading east introduces a sharper contrast between historic masonry and contemporary architecture. The Aqua building, with its undulating balconies, gives the skyline a sculptural quality, while nearby towers use glass, steel, and reflective surfaces to create changing patterns of light.
Millennium Park is a natural point for observing this contrast. The Jay Pritzker Pavilion, designed by Frank Gehry, uses sweeping steel ribbons and an open performance space to create an expressive landmark. Cloud Gate, commonly known as “The Bean,” reflects the surrounding skyline and turns architecture into a moving visual experience.
This section of the walk is also convenient for visitors who need to return to hotels or meeting venues. Major transit connections and broad pedestrian routes make it easier to shorten the itinerary when a scientific session or group appointment is approaching.
Plan the Walk Around the Meeting Schedule
An architectural excursion works best when divided into manageable sections. A 60-minute route around the river can fit before a morning session, while the Loop and South Loop require more time and comfortable walking shoes. Winter weather should be considered carefully, especially during an early evening return.
Delegations and professional teams staying in different hotel categories may benefit from agreeing on a common meeting point before setting out. Central landmarks such as the Chicago Cultural Center or a riverfront bridge are easier to identify than a particular street entrance.
For accommodation questions, group arrangements, or practical information connected with the event, teams could use the site’s planning assistance before organizing their stay. Coordinating lodging and walking plans together can reduce unnecessary travel between hotel blocks, meeting activities, and sightseeing stops.
Make These Stops Part of the Experience
A focused route does not need to cover every famous building. These choices provide a balanced view of Chicago’s architectural development:
- Begin at the Chicago River for skyline views and a clear sense of the city’s vertical scale.
- Visit the Chicago Cultural Center to experience historic interior ornament and the Tiffany dome.
- Include the Rookery Building or Auditorium Building for insight into Chicago’s early architectural experiments.
- Reserve extra time for Millennium Park and the nearby modern skyline.
- Keep the route flexible so weather, conference sessions, and group energy can shape the day.
A walking tour of Chicago architecture can turn time between RSNA activities into a memorable study of structure, materials, and urban change. Follow the river, move through the Loop, and let the city’s buildings provide a vivid companion to the scientific programme.