Interior Design

WHERE ARE YOU? 

Inside the Chicago Cultural Center (the big stone building at the corner of Randolph and Garland. Walk past the security desk to the big open room with lots of seating. 

Add at least 10 minutes to your experience if you do the bonus stop, Preston Bradley Hall, which is an absolute architectural highlight of Chicago. 

WHAT IS INTERIOR ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN VS INTERIOR DESIGN?

An architect that is designing interior space may focus on the technical aspects of building and planning interior space. An interior designer, on the other hand, may manage the furnishing and decorations to create a mood. 

This space is for the public to use, and people may come here with a lunch to eat, a friend to catch up with or a business meeting. The surfaces are hard and smooth, which makes the sound amplified. Thus an interior designer added these softer kinds of furniture not just for the comfort of visitors, but also to absorb sound. 

Years ago, the beautiful floors had been covered with industrial carpet for the same reason. But which would you visually prefer? Designers often have to balance the needs of users with budgets as well as conflicting visions of other designers. A sound designer could say “We have to use carpet” whereas the interior designer might say “We have to share the historic beauty of the space.”

LEARN MORE:

TBD

BONUS STOP: 

Head further into the building to reach the original entrance to the Chicago Public Library, which is what this building was originally built to be in the late 1800s. More content to come. 

Either way, exit on the South side of the building, on Washington St.