All posts by Taylor Clark

Between Campbell & Troost – Taylor C.

Below are three different figure ground diagrams I constructed based on maps from the years 1925, 1950, and today. One especially noteworthy thing that can be found in these is that of growth and decay.

In the early 1920s there was a swell of development, with the construction of the Bainbridge Apartments, Murray Apartments, and Central Presbyterian Church. Although the Murray Apartments were gone by 1950, the large silhouettes of the Bainbridge and Central Presbyterian are still found on the 2018 map.

Most commercial structures do not last to this day, and those that are still present at the intersection of Armour & Troost and due to make way for a $78 million investment from MAC Properties. The Chicago based Real-Estate firm wants to build up the corners of the intersection to house mixed-use space, which might provide a redemption for this area.

Optimistically, the area will have much more built space soon, but realistically, many of the gleaming buildings of the 1920s during this neighborhood’s height will never be rebuilt.