The first private photowalk of the season. It’s kind of feeling like spring…kind of. The forecast was looking promising but we had chilly temps and gray skies. Still, we had a great time and got some great shots all over the Loop.

We started with something bright and cheerful, Calatrava’s Constellation sculpture at River Point Park. Even on gloomy days, this sculpture is a beauty. It always looks nice contrasting against the glassy grid of River Point (designed by Pickard Chilton) – the grid vs. curves, blue vs. red.

Next, we walked over to Union Station, happy for the reprieve from the cold! The interiors were restored by Goettsch Partners a couple of years ago and it looks so nice in here now. Though, I’m not sure how I feel about the blue lights in certain areas of the buiding.

My favorite area is this arched ceiling in the passageway to the trains from the Great Hall.

Here’s one wide shot of the Great Hall.

We headed to Sears Tower (SOM) and Olafur Eliasson’s Atmospheric Wave Wall. I’ve shot both of these so many times, that it’s getting difficult to find a new perspective. Here’s one ICM shot of the wall.

His design inspiration draws from the waves and light on Lake Michigan.

Nearby, 235 Van Buren (Perkins + Will). Those cantilevered balconies on the south side are always great for graphic patterns.

No visit to the Loop is complete without stopping by Calder’s Flamingo. Even after countless visits, I still love this piece, especially how well it’s placed in the city – surrounded by Mies van der Rohe’s black towers. They provide the perfect contrast to the vibrant Calder Red.

Couldn’t pass up the spring green also contrasting so well with the black.

Back inside to warm up a little, we stopped by the Art Institute of Chicago for one of my favorite staircases in Chicago. I captured a couple of small details this trip.

And the view of Millennium Park from the Modern Wing (Renzo Piano).

After lunch, we checked out the many beautiful staircases at the Palmer House. Here’s a curvy detail of my favorite staircase in here. Can’t completely decide if I prefer color or BW – at the moment, I’m leaning more toward color. What do you prefer?

We ended the day with two of Studio Gang’s designs – Aqua and St Regis.

Despite less than ideal weather conditions, we had a great day!