With all the attention tourists and locals pay to the new (ish) Millennium Park, this small courtyard at the Art Institute of Chicago is now mostly ignored, or at least underappreciated. Which is a shame, because it's a lovely space.
A large pool with bubbling fountains arranges the space, grouping planters of low, wide-spreading hawthornes (Crataegus) on each side.
English ivy (Hedera helix) are trained up the trunks, which has to be a bit of a maintenance issue - I would think they need to clip them back a few times a year!
Buffering the traffic of Michigan Avenue are large planters of honey locusts (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis). Much like at Paley Park, honey locusts are used to terrific effect as plants that can get quite tall in maturity but yet grow very well in the space to which it is confined. In the open, the tree could have a broad, spreading shape. But in narrow confines, it has a loose, columnar habit.
I like this post as well. I never saw these sites. The benches are sleek against the wall and the trees spaced nicely along the hedges. Paley Park photos look somewhat like what you did in Honolulu at the hotel. I like the reflecting pond at the Art Institute in Chicago, but do not care for the fountain effect. It would be nice to do something else there to move the water around and create the same feeling. I don't like the placement of the fountains. Just a quick comment from the photos. Nice entry. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThat courtyard is by Dan Kiley. Hawthorns at their finest! The fact that the courtyard is sunken gives it a nice feeling. It's not a big grade change, but it makes all the difference.
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