Reveals Chicago’s lost architecture and tells the remarkable stories of their creation and destruction.

As you walk or drive down the street, do you ever wonder what it might have looked like in years gone by? What buildings used to be there, and how the surroundings have changed throughout time?

For the first time, through the skill and energy of Ryan Chester’s drawings, readers can see buildings throughout Chicago that were demolished decades before they ever lived. Chicago Rebuilt explores the myriad architectural styles that have been popular over the last two centuries and brings them to life in an entirely new way. Included are forty-four intricate, full-color architectural drawings of the city, juxtaposed with archival photographs and materials, as well as informative essays on each building. Together with Vincent L. Michael, Chester illuminates the fascinating histories of who made these structures, why they succeeded or failed, and why the buildings were each ultimately lost. 

Enchanting and haunting, Chicago Rebuilt tells the story of a vanished city by conjuring it anew through energetic renderings from one of Chicago’s most masterful architectural and artistic talents.