Nicole Tourangeau
A view of Chicago
Like it or not the controversial Trump Tower is now a landmark in our city. Trump Towers has come to stand for the materiality and fame of the name itself and its over luxurious components. Having someone close to me living on the 58th floor of Trump Towers has given me the opportunity to experience life in one of the most famed high-rises in Chicago.
I took Clutch to Trump to expose Clutch to environments existing inside and outside of a building known for its superficiality. Before going, I believed living in such a building removes one from nature and its surroundings and creates its own bubble of an environment, much like Clutch is a self-enclosed world.
In the Trump Tower habitat, in summer the windows are covered with extremely large spiders and their webs. They are not present on the day I bring Clutch because the weather is cool, but during summer these “flying” spiders use their silk and catch air currents, landing on some of Chicago’s tallest buildings. Small insects also make these windows their homes, which the spiders eat. In the winter, the windows freeze and slowly the ice begins to melt. This natural process is inevitable in Chicago’s climate and I find it beautiful to watch the ice melt in sync with our weather patterns. The buildings are also equipped with electric fireplaces, artificial and purely used to create a relaxing ambiance.
For me though what was most significant about spending time with Clutch at the Trump Tower was its extensive view. I feel like you can see all of Chicago, including bodies of water, expressways, and the changing urban sprawl. The view puts the scale of the city into perspective. I picked out North Avenue Beach - a reminder of how earlier this summer I walked there from downtown. At that time the walk felt exhausting but from the Trump Tower window, it felt much closer. I currently live in Bucktown and even in the short time I’ve lived in this area, I have created a community within my neighborhood. I go to my local gym, buy from the small food store around the corner and, more or less, stay in the neighborhood. I even walk the same route to the bus to and from school.
A view of Chicago
Like it or not the controversial Trump Tower is now a landmark in our city. Trump Towers has come to stand for the materiality and fame of the name itself and its over luxurious components. Having someone close to me living on the 58th floor of Trump Towers has given me the opportunity to experience life in one of the most famed high-rises in Chicago.
I took Clutch to Trump to expose Clutch to environments existing inside and outside of a building known for its superficiality. Before going, I believed living in such a building removes one from nature and its surroundings and creates its own bubble of an environment, much like Clutch is a self-enclosed world.
In the Trump Tower habitat, in summer the windows are covered with extremely large spiders and their webs. They are not present on the day I bring Clutch because the weather is cool, but during summer these “flying” spiders use their silk and catch air currents, landing on some of Chicago’s tallest buildings. Small insects also make these windows their homes, which the spiders eat. In the winter, the windows freeze and slowly the ice begins to melt. This natural process is inevitable in Chicago’s climate and I find it beautiful to watch the ice melt in sync with our weather patterns. The buildings are also equipped with electric fireplaces, artificial and purely used to create a relaxing ambiance.
For me though what was most significant about spending time with Clutch at the Trump Tower was its extensive view. I feel like you can see all of Chicago, including bodies of water, expressways, and the changing urban sprawl. The view puts the scale of the city into perspective. I picked out North Avenue Beach - a reminder of how earlier this summer I walked there from downtown. At that time the walk felt exhausting but from the Trump Tower window, it felt much closer. I currently live in Bucktown and even in the short time I’ve lived in this area, I have created a community within my neighborhood. I go to my local gym, buy from the small food store around the corner and, more or less, stay in the neighborhood. I even walk the same route to the bus to and from school.
I often forget that I am a part of a much larger, easily accessible city. My original thought that the city dwellers of Chicago’s most dense areas were the most disconnected from their environment but at Trump Tower, with Clutch, seeing Chicago as a whole from a high-rise vantage point, made me think about my own disconnection to Chicago. I have created a small community for myself just like Clutch has created a community for itself, and, like Clutch, perhaps the purpose is to be mindful of making the connections between communities.
No comments:
Post a Comment