One of the strangest and most colorful (literally and figuratively colorful) landmarks in Chicagoland, Dustin Schuler’s Berwyn Car Spindle, was toppled last night.
Add it to the long list of wonderful structures smashed to bits in the name of Walgreens construction.
Some day, when I am 99 years old, the Walgreenses will be out of fashion and failing and being torn down. They will be torn down for wonderful useful things, the kinds of things they replaced in the first place: terra cotta laden Chinese restaurants, bowling alleys, independent grocery stores, and art decolicious apartment buildings. Stuff with enameled signage and lots of flavor. Urban buildings, corner storefronts, and even exciting contemporary buildings–generally, all manner of things built from neither cinderblock nor grade D putty-colored stucco.
When the Walgreenses are torn down, when I am 99, I am going to walk down to the demolition sites, point my finger, and laugh my 99 year old librarian laugh.
Sigh. Poor ol’ spindle.
Thanks to flickrer-of-all-things-brutalist Seth Tisue for bringing this to my attention. He has pictures. Also, the Sun-Times has video.
Curious Feet 