Wacker Drive Streetscape

In the 1980’s Randal shared office space with an architectural and planning firm called Boyer, Hoppe & Associates. This firm had a client comprised of the major tenants along Wacker Drive, one of Chicago’s more famous business streets, as it follows the east and south side of the Chicago River. Along Wacker Drive are buildings such as the Sears Tower, the Civic Opera House, 333 W. Wacker Dr. (the building BIRKEY.COM is located in), the Leo Burnett building, and many others.

These and other tenants contracted BHA to design a plan for upgrading and beautifying the street level experience of Wacker Drive. The BHA Development Plan called for center plantings, obelisks, paving, flags, and many other enhancements that were eventually implemented and are still experienced to this day.

The original art was roughly 6 feet wide by 2 feet high done on D’Arches rough watercolor paper. The line work was done by hand with pencil and Rapidograph sepia ink pens. The Windsor & Newton watercolor washes were then added by Randal as well. The final art was commercially mounted and displayed in various venues in Chicago until it made it’s final place in the architectural design studio of Jonathan Boyer and Heidi Hoppe. I’m not sure where the original art is today. Does anybody out there know?