Virtual Sketching: Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago

Chicago ICAA would like to invite you to join us for our weekly virtual sketching exercise. This week's subject is the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago.

This masterpiece was designed by America’s leading Gothic-Revival architect, Ralph Adams Cram. It is the second-oldest building north of the river on Michigan Avenue; only the Water Tower and Pumping Station are older. The Tudor-style parish buildings were designed by Howard Van Doren Shaw. In 2012, the congregation dedicated an 80,000-square-foot addition, the Gratz Center, designed by Gensler. This bold contemporary addition to the Gold Coast is rhomboid in shape and clad in interlocking copper plates tinted a brilliant blue-green. The Gratz Center includes Buchanan Chapel, with a floor that incorporates a labyrinth modeled on the one at Chartres Cathedral in France.

Our Process

• Chicago ICAA will provide reference images each Monday for the selected building or focus. You may use any media or technique of your choice.
• Reference images can be found here.
• Please forward a JPG file of your sketch to [email protected] by Sunday evening following the sketch date and we will post to the Chicago ICAA Instagram account on Monday afternoon. Please include your Instagram handle in the email in order to tag your sketch.
• Post to your own Instagram account using #icaachicago #connectingthroughsketching #classicalarchitecture #classicismathome #virtualsketching

Ends Sunday, August 16 at midnight.