Chicago is known for its architecture and the city's impressive, super-sized skyline is one of the best I've seen - I love art deco architecture and it's in abundance in the Windy City, from historic landmarks and massive public buildings to big office blocks, sat against modern glass and steel skyscrapers, iconic towers like the John Hancock Center and Willis Tower, elegant hotels and the legendary houses of architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
As most buildings in the downtown area were destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, there was a boom in the 1880s and 1890s with new buildings shooting up in a variety of styles and original designs, including many world firsts: architectural pioneers explored using steel frame construction instead of cast iron and the "Chicago School" architects emphasised the skyscraper's vertical nature using large plates of glass, which became the first modern skyscrapers.