designslinger - Word of the Week: aggregate
[aggregate (1927) Grant Park, Chicago /Images &Artwork: designslinger]
aggregate [AG-ri-geyt] n. an inert granular material such as sand, crushed stone, or gravel, which is mixed with a cement binder;
[aggregate (1965) University of Illinois at Chicago /Image & Artwork: designslinger]
sometimes used as the decorative finish of a concrete surface.
I've always loved the 1920s stonework in Grant Park for its rugged texture and distinctive salt-&-pepper mix. I remember walking up Michigan Avenue when they were hoisting out sections of the balustrade north of The Art Institute in preparation for Millennium Park, but because I had seen renderings of the new park's recreated Peristyle & other neoclassical details, I naively assumed that the handsome old balustrades were going to be put back into place after restoration. If I had realized then that the originals were never coming back, I would have bought a few of the balusters while I still had the opportunity.
Maybe rustic terrazzo balustrades and the park's old carved limestone benches & columns weren't as cute as a bunch of plastic cows, but the City could have at least offered people a chance to buy these handsome & historic pieces before they reduced them to paving gravel.
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Given the current, crumbling state of much of the 1920s-era, poured concrete classical decor, you might want to get in touch with some Park District personnel before they start tearing out the next batch of balusters destined for the gravel heap.
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