The Controversy Over Building Signage

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Signage on buildings is nothing new. You'll find it all over the world and throughout history. But some signs just seem to rile everyone up. The TRUMP sign on 401 North Wabash in Chicago is one of those signs. Even during the design review phase, the sign was controversial for its size and placement. Then, after its installation, it seems protests and news stories of disgruntled city residence have followed consistently since. In this video, we take a look at why and how buildings signs can be so controversial. Areas like New York's Times Square and Las Vegas are compared to more traditional areas and how each might learn from one another. We also interview Blair Kamin, who had a lot to say about the Trump sign and why folks are so adamantly opposed to its presence along the Chicago River.
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Architecture with Stewart is a KZbin journey exploring architecture’s deep and enduring stories in all their bewildering glory. Weekly videos and occasional live events breakdown a wide range of topics related to the built environment in order to increase their general understanding and advocate their importance in shaping the world we inhabit.
_About Me_
Stewart Hicks is an architectural design educator that leads studios and lecture courses as an Associate Professor in the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also serves as an Associate Dean in the College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts and is the co-founder of the practice Design With Company. His work has earned awards such as the Architecture Record Design Vanguard Award or the Young Architect’s Forum Award and has been featured in exhibitions such as the Chicago Architecture Biennial and Design Miami, as well as at the V&A Museum and Tate Modern in London. His writings can be found in the co-authored book Misguided Tactics for Propriety Calibration, published with the Graham Foundation, as well as essays in MONU magazine, the AIA Journal Manifest, Log, bracket, and the guest-edited issue of MAS Context on the topic of character architecture.
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Design With Company: designwith.co
University of Illinois at Chicago School of Architecture: arch.uic.edu/
#architecture #urbandesign

[@robbertom]

Seattle doesn't allow signs or names on their skyscrapers, a unique requirement that you don't really notice until you head to another city and remember...

[@markgorbett9752]

Same with Honolulu. Billboards aren’t even allowed on the islands

[@NickyG790]

Bellevue, across the lake, on the other hand does allow signs/names on their high rises.

[@hockeymikey]

I'd be okay with this for every city. All signs on skyscrapers are trashy.

[@Blacksunshine636]

I never realized that!!!

[@mark123655]

Agree. You first get to Honolulu and you realise something is different, just takes a while to put your finger on it.

[@samisagiraffe9394]

Fun fact about barber signs in South Korea. The traditional spinning blue and red barber signs are often used in Korea to denote that the business isn’t a real barbershop, but actually a brothel-like situation. Some foreigners, not knowing this, have had some interesting experiences just trying to get a haircut.

[@peteranon8455]

Ah, idiocracy's "nice haircut."

[@MarlonBitoy]

@@peteranon8455 “full body latte”

[@lzh4950]

Some of my countrymen were meanwhile complaining about some new public housing apartment blocks whose elevator/lift lobbies were completely painted in red (supposedly inspired by tropical fruits like rambutans & dragonfruits) as it reminded them of the red lamps traditionally placed outside brothels

[@kennixox262]

"Happy Ending GI?"

[@JF_Auran_Music_OFC]

Are they legal?

[@JuanAdam12]

I live in Chicago, I have an unobstructed view of the skyline from about 3 miles away to the west/northwest and I will make this objective statement about the Trump building: This building reflects the sunlight in the evening hours so beautifully, changing its appearance literally by the second, as no other building in Chicago does-not even the Vista. It is spectacular.

[@THE-COOL-GIRL-CHANNEL]

RIGHT ON*

[@cecilecoonrod4146]

You made this sound so beautiful I tried to find a video…

[@philipdillon83]

The skyscraper itself os actually beautiful and has an interesting teir design. But having a monkeys name on it is cringe.

[@frankpassi9812]

this is very much still your subjective opinion lol

[@cecilecoonrod4146]

The building would not exist if not for the person whose name is on it. If the sign board committee passed the sign as being within regulations there is nothing else to be said. Wether it is beautiful or not is in the eye of the beholder and 100 years from now it will be judged on its artistic/architectural merits alone ( wether from images or life we won’t know).

[@sillyhead5]

Please do more full-length interviews with subject-matter experts in the architecture space. You're uniquely positioned and skilled to get a lot out of such people.

[@stewarthicks]

Working on it. It's tough to work in with my schedule.

[@flyingskier1913]

On a somewhat related note, Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, and Vermont have statewide bans on billboards which I really appreciate. I get surprised every time I go somewhere that allows them

[@lisakilmer2667]

Very interesting conversation. I love Chicago's elegant, low-signage appearance. The buildings are the focal point. By contrast I strongly recoil at spaces like Times Square, but respond to a shopping walk as I do to extreme Christmas light displays.

[@RoySATX]

IMHO there are no extreme Christmas light displays. Some are tacky, some lack creativity or execution skills, but extreme implies there is an upper limit that's been crossed and that's just not so, not short of blinding!

[@joetrey215]

I think the "TRUMP" signs looks orders of magnitude better than the "Chicago Sun-Times Chicago Daily News" sign that used to be there.

[@stewarthicks]

That's fair.

[@Beeline_N]

This video made me think of the cyberpunk genre. Was wondering if you could do an analysis on futuristic architecture in fiction and how you see architecture evolving in the future.

[@JustANervousWreck]

Yes this is a really cool idea

[@ccnomad]

Yessss! Looking forward to an episode featuring Blade Runner as a case study :)

[@malaquiasalfaro81]

Do it !!!!

[@1224chrisng]

that Cyberpunk aesthetic is actually inspired by movies from Hong Kong. Today, Hong Kong still has these signs but they're being replaced by LEDs instead of neon

[@jamessergeant2136]

The Oxo Tower on London’s south bank - built in the late 1920s - has windows in the shape of the letters O X O in order to get round the ban on building signs.

[@bradleydilks6376]

Another recent example you might find interesting is the Truist tower in Charlotte NC. It’s a beautiful Art Deco inspired building that they just slapped on the sign at the top when the bank bought the building. They also added additional lighting that cheapens the look of the building.

[@skyekehoe1670]

It's really sad because it was one of the most beautiful buildings in Charlotte and then they just slapped a massive logo on it

[@scpatl4now]

Just as an FYI...the blame may not be Truist's but the city of Charlotte and their sign ordinance. Cities like Charlotte and Atlanta are pretty specific in what they will allow and that really isn't very much

[@jandraelune1]

It's not just 1 Times Square that is empty, but at least half the building space around that square is empty. The ground floor and like 2-3 floors up are occupied, but above that is empty.

[@ttt69420]

They don't like it because of the name. While it is a somewhat interesting cultural and municipal bylaw issue, the only reason people specifically care about this one is because of what it says.

[@green29373]

It was completed in 2009 before he was president. Signage makes a city feel cheap imo, no matter what it says.

[@gregspov]

It's also interesting to see when signage becomes part of a location's aesthetic identity. Up until recently San Francisco had a wonderful illuminated Coca-Cola sign that seemed to be a fixture on the skyline, now that it is gone and we only have boring billboards advertising how to get great ROI on your next tech project there definitely is a feeling of artistic loss. There is also a museum of signs in the Praga district of Warsaw, Poland that preserves and explores the aesthetic history of neon that developed in that city during the communist era. BTW - as a native Chicagoan I can only hope that those abominable 20 foot high letters on the riverfront come down someday.

[@bradleyhove4177]

I find this really interesting. We have something similar in Philly - The PSFS neon sign is such an important part of the skyline that when they converted to LED they spend lots of effort to make sure that the LEDs perfectly replicated the warm neon glow.

[@thevikingbear2343]

There is, in NY, a Pepsi Cola Sign in Long Island City that you can see from Manhattan. That sign was the wall sign of a giant Pepsi Cola factory that got demolished, but the sign had become so beloved that it was a historical landmark. When the factory was demolished, the sign had to be replaced by a free standing sign in the same size and the same font as the original one. Now it stands in the middle of a park, still visible from Manhattan.

[@fuzzylon]

@@thevikingbear2343 A similar thing happened in West London on the highway in from Heathrow airport - There used to be a factory making Lucozade (a British soft drink) and when the factory was demolished a replica sign replaced it in a nearby location also visible from the highway. Unfortunately, I think even the replica is gone now.

[@jasontempest4233]

The GIGANTIC neon Coca Cola sign in Kings Cross, Sydney, Australia has a Heritage Listing on it, which means it cannot be removed.

[@rockland2]

@@bradleyhove4177 the Mobil Pegasus in Dallas Texas is a famed advertising sign loved by the locals.

[@BlownMacTruck]

Nitpick: please use “1/5th the size” when something is supposed to be smaller, not “5x smaller”. 2:24 for reference.

[@scpatl4now]

I think I can offer some expertise on this subject. I owned a sign company for many years that fabricated neon for signs. We actually did several restorations as well. While I think sign ordinances are necessary and you should have to get a permit if for no other reason to prove your sign is safe and you know what you are doing, but my problem with them is that it severely constrains creativity. Almost any iconic sign you can think of (at least in Atlanta) would not be able to be permitted with today's rules. That just leads to a one size fits all cookie cutter channel letter suburban type sign. We subcontracted on a couple of signs on the top of skyscrapers that were also pretty generic. There were so many times I could envision an iconic sign that the client would have loved that would have been beautiful, only to know that they would never be allowed to be permitted.

[@stewarthicks]

Very interesting! Thank you for your thoughts.

[@cecilecoonrod4146]

Surely Chicago has some kind of sign ordinance!!

[@scpatl4now]

@@cecilecoonrod4146 I am 100% sure they do. Can you imagine the fire hazard of just anyone throwing a sign up on a building without someone approving the electrical? You'd have stuff burning down left and right (and Chicago has a bit of history when it comes to fire)

[@unl987]

@cecile - Chicago does, and it was discussed in this video.

[@scpatl4now]

@@FavoriteThings606 I am not a fan of those signs either. Neon just looks classier and has that nostalgic feel when done right.

[@silverXnoise]

I really enjoyed this video. As someone trained in media production and who’s worked in marketing and digital signage, I have an appreciation for their utility, and even aesthetics when applied thoughtfully. One quick tip, if you read this-try staggering your audio tracks so that they lead the video in transitions that move between different scenes. It frequently helps make cuts smoother, and can prime viewers expectations so that cuts from one location to another feel more seamless. Keep up the great work, I love your channel!

[@whostolemunchkin]

It's called a J cut, for anyone that's curious

[@WurkNProgrez]

Oh "The Sign". This was an unusual chapter in Chicago's architecture saga. Everyone hated the sign and I don't remember a single resident ever coming out to defend the sign either. In fact, they seemed to hate the sign due to all the drama it was causing, like huge protests outside their home. Despite all of that, the reasons for why the sign was allowed to remain made total sense. Several years later, the value of the tower's homes have dropped considerably and there were conspiracy theories that there was somewhat of a quiet-mass exodus. Either way, to this day, "The Sign" remains.

[@vokay]

It makes sense that the real-estate of the tower would drop, considering the average upper-class chicagoans ideological demographics, but I wouldn't have thought it would be drastic enough to warrant a mass exodus.

[@CortexNewsService]

@@vokay When him losing re-election hit the news, Chicagoans actually celebrated in the streets. His one rally there got cancelled because confrontations between his supporters and opponents almost turned into a riot. He is REALLY hated there.

[@davidsubotin7122]

@@CortexNewsService which makes sense since Chicago is a shit hole

[@MrAlexander336]

I think they should replace the sign too

[@alexandrep4913]

@@vokay It didn't. It's not everyone, not even close. Most people commenting are just lying about how much effect this had because people are just emotional beings.

[@thndr_5468]

I just think it's hilarious how much everyone is spazzing out over a sign on one building. If it said "Miller" or some other common name they wouldn't care.

[@bagnome]

Bright neon signs are my favorite kind. I love that glow.

[@scpatl4now]

Especially the old historic ones at old theaters and iconic signs all over the country

[@tapbanister]

I actually know 3 people who no longer live in that building once Donald Trump became president. Politics played a major role in them leaving. I personally like how it looks, besides the giant sign, both inside and out. The homes are beautiful.

[@CortexNewsService]

That's the sad thing. It is a beautiful building that does really add to the skyline. But that sign...

[@jamesmcinnis208]

"actually"

[@JohnFromAccounting]

@@CortexNewsService It's not as if it reads DEATH, so I can't understand what's so bad about it. If a building had a huge KENNEDY sign and was owned by the Kennedy family, I wouldn't mind it either.

[@warreneckels4945]

@@JohnFromAccounting Trump is the symbol of everything wrong with the places whose people migrated/fled to Chicago, and Trump uses Chicago as the symbol of everything wrong with the country. The two despise each other.

[@CortexNewsService]

@@JohnFromAccounting remember how much he ragged on Chicago before and after the election? Because Chicago does.

[@freischutz898]

This is stupid... its his building so as long is not obscene or a hazard he should be able to put anything in there

[@themidnightmurdershow]

Period

[@kor2525]

Oh man, please don't ever stop making these videos. I started watching before I started studying architecture, I'm now in my fourth semester and these videos are what keep me going when I haven't slept and want to give up.

[@lukemalm9190]

I think of signs along interstate. Recently driving north on I-25 from Denver up to Wyoming, it is a much nicer drive in CO than WY based on all the billboards out there.

[@ws1814]

It’s a silver sign on a shiny reflective building. It’s even legally approved. Gosh, stop whining.

[@wayfarin]

since he wasn't convicted of any of those offenses, how did the city plan on banning the sign on that basis?

[@ramdynebix]

People forget (or don’t know) how much of modern city centers used to be absolutely covered in signage, for instance between 1900 and 1950. It’s only in the last few decades that we started to look at the buildings behind them again.

[@reese4077]

Truthfully, these reactions are an exaggeration. The sign is at least well made and blends accordingly with the building. This is less about architecture and more so on the content of his character. I'd argue the Salesforce sign significantly more noisy and disrupts the environment

[@txquartz]

Don't forget Salesforce wanted to put a 20-story TV screen on theirs and that almost got approved until the political backlash to Trump made them pass the no signs on the river ordinance.

[@reese4077]

@@txquartz lol didn't know of that

[@David49305]

The sign distracts from the building, but, more interestingly, the man's ego makes it more unappealing to look at.

[@netposerx]

If it was a name other than "Trump" these critics would be silent.

[@13minutestomidnight]

No, it would still be obnoxious and an eyesore anyway - That's why they still intervened legally to stop other signage doing the same. Being "Trump" just made things worse.

[@JJarosze9595]

as a resident of NY the blinding lights of times square is not a pleasant experience- I would not call it perfect despite the interesting history. I much prefer the type of signage youll see in Asia or in chinatowns around the US which still tend to rely on neon or non-light based signage. Most LED lit signs are too bright and abrasive

[@txquartz]

Almost every sign in Chicago's Chinatown is LED and as well in Taiwan and China when I lived there. But the difference is most of the signs are not going for sheer brightness but rather depth of color.

[@gtv6chuck]

I miss the "Pan Am" on top of the former Pan Am Building in NYC, which has now been replaced by "Met Life", which doesn't look as good. I think that even if Trump had made the sign smaller or put it elsewhere on the building they still would have complained just because it was Donald Trump. When I lived in NYC I thought his building's signs were garish as much as the gold and marble inside his eponymous tower, but there was a reason for his signs, which has made him a billionaire.

[@Steelers1180]

It is his building, he should be allowed to put where ever he wants to. If it wasn't Trump would it be an argument?

[@David49305]

That isn't how the world works. There are codes and standards that developers have to follow. No one gets to do whatever they want, and they shouldn't! And, remember, this all happened long before he ran for president.

[@David49305]

what?@@dr.jiIIaIicecooper2587

[@green29373]

Do your research before commenting. The building was completed in 2009, far before he was president. Signage is ugly in general in my opinion and ruins the look of the building in general. This is the problem with political bases, they just blame you for ‘targeting their perfect god’.

[@awsomenesscaleb]

I've never seen a single Trump yard sign while living in Chicago these past five years, but the city has the largest Trump sign in the world displayed prominently in the heart of downtown. The irony is pretty rich.

[@MK-rl8cf]

I bet he’s proud every day he managed to slap his name in this city for all those reasons you just described..

[@JohnFromAccounting]

He's a New Yorker, and he brought his New Yorkness to Chicago. I imagine he had a really big grin when it got approved.

[@BlownMacTruck]

That’s not “the heart” of downtown. It’s not even downtown. And no one cares that his name is on the building. No one takes it as some sort of stand against people who don’t like him. It’s simply viewed as tacky. But of course people like you always views these things as simplistic “stick it to the libs!” type situations, so of course you think this way.

[@matthewweflen]

He's like a baboon, defecating to mark his territory.

[@sharksport01]

I wish it said LIGHTFOOT.

[@xternalpunk]

It's not some bright neon sign so I don't think it's that bad. The signs take my eyes off the ground which is usually disgusting. So in a way the signage in big cities can be nice.

[@TheLanceFrazier]

Price to build a skyscraper $$$$$$ A branded sign half the size of a football field $$$ The cost to live RENT FREE in the minds of so many smug elites... PRICELESS!

[@Pisti846]

Yup!

[@Chicagofigure]

Wasn't the tower completed in 2009? I can distinctly remember taking a picture of the tower without the letters when I first moved to Chicago in 2011.

[@timmmahhhh]

Yes they came later, people loved the tower without them.

[@davidritchie1272]

The marketing agency for commercial property in the building uses only those photos of the building before signage. The t-word is automatic death to any potential lease agreement. Note the eternal emptiness of the retail floors at the base.

[@davidritchie1272]

To elaborate a little on the above comment, the planned retail floors at the river level ought to be prime, desirable space, sandwiched as they are between the Riverwalk and The Magnificent Mile, yet no-one in Chicago is willing to move into them. Makes me proud of my city.

[@TahoeRealm]

@@timmmahhhh Half the people love the tower with them

[@eric_has_no_idea]

@@davidritchie1272 they are having occupancy issues beyond the norm for downtown. Lots of places have changed their address to 401 N. Wabash.

[@saulgoodman2018]

Times square is basically ads, not signs.

[@DZstudios.]

I have never been to Chicago, but that view of The Tower reminded me of a mix of Venice and Rome, with a huge Las Vegas sign

[@rott921]

Great video. I do take issue with the notion that skylines should be like a 'polite dinner party' and not something else. It was presented as if the viewer would agree, but why? Why not something more boisterous, or uniform? Also there are a lot of other examples of copious signage and other building effects in east Asia where it seems to allow for more creativity. Like the old neon of Hong Kong, or the colorful lights on the buildings in chongqing.

[@BlownMacTruck]

I missed it. Where in the video does it say that skylines should be like a “polite dinner party”?

[@Distress.]

@@BlownMacTruck the part where the whole video complains about a sign that is normal in pretty much every city.

[@BlownMacTruck]

@@Distress. What? That was nowhere. Cite your source.

[@donaldfoley7581]

@@BlownMacTruck At 3:48.

[@BlownMacTruck]

@@donaldfoley7581 That’s not really what he said.

[@6Oko6Demona6]

I think they hate more that the sign says trump than the sign itself. Sadly. I'm fine with it, it doesn't stand out.

[@David49305]

The sign was first an issue when the building was built, long before Trump was as disliked as he is now. People don't want to look at signs. Its distracting and takes away from building aesthetics.

[@leobuckey]

imo the backlash is mainly personal/political. People don’t like the message of the sign more than they don’t like the sign. So, they critique sign’s aesthetics.

[@TheShortStory]

A conversation of signs and place always brings my mind to Hong Kong. For people who grew up there, the neon-sign-lined streets were home, of course, but photos from tourists and journalists, as well as movies shot during its heydays in the '80s to early '00s, inexorably tied the name of the city to neon signs. (A conversation about Hong Kong's function as direct inspiration for cyberpunk and anime is a worthwhile digression.) Yet walk down Nathan Road today and you will find nearly none of the overhanging neon signs immortalised on the silver screen and holiday photo albums. The city is still brightly lit with advertisements, to be sure, but they are LEDs which create quite a different effect. The reason is that since the handover, the government refused to issue permits for overhanging neon signeage (which were almost always put up without permission), and offered no avenue to legalize existing signs. So, one by one, businesses were issued takedown notices. And so, Hong Kong lost its most famous visual identifier. Irony of ironies is that after the city's reputation suffered from the crushing of its pro-democracy protests, and desperate to recover from Covid's effects on tourism, government-supported tourist traps evoke neon signs, roadside eateries, and all the symbols of "old Hong Kong" it has been working so eagerly to rub out.

[@dmr8914]

HK has a cheap over-rated light show that makes the whole city just a tourist attraction with no soul. However, TOTALLY support the democracy protests.

[@lando_jm4609]

Something about how you said "if you liked this video, you might also like this video about flat roofs." And I did. Wow I'm such an architecture nerd. :P

[@Y.d.o.b.o.n]

I find it funny how much a sign pisses people off 😂

[@matthewweflen]

Imagine someone putting a "Brutus" sign on your house.

[@JonSteitzer]

that's wild that the buildings behind the signs in times square are unoccupied. Crazy.

[@sharksport01]

Cheap apartments for rent.

[@saulgoodman2018]

Signs are useful. It let's you know where you are, and where you're going.

[@jimbla9921]

I enjoyed this video as it extended to aspects of architecture or art that we don't necessary consider in school or it the field as a whole. it's ironic that at times that the sign outshines or even outlives the structure that it is associated with. ... I feel like murals of the past with perhaps multiple layers of messages also can lend to the recognition

[@marcchapman6812]

Kansas City’s Western Auto sign is a great example of a sign becoming a part of the city.

[@CortexNewsService]

Chicago does have stuff like that as well, like the Santa Fe rail sign on the Michigan Avenue streetwall or the Marshal Field's clock. both are actually protected with landmark status.

[@timothyjudd7918]

In my opinion, one of the most unfortunate examples is the sign on top of the U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles. The decorative and sculptural crown is one of the most distinctive features of this building, designed by Henry Cobb. The sign is a blight on the crown which throws off its symmetry at certain angles. The effect is cluttered and tacky.

[@Grimpmann]

I can't imagine being upset about a sign on a building, these people are ridiculous.

[@JackLe1127]

8:30 I believe those giant signs are LED signs (where each pixel is a whole LED or a panel of one). LCDs are not gonna be cost effective to put outside.

[@unknowntexan4570]

They aren't fooling anyone. The whole series of complaints are hypocritical and petty. If it had another company name, they wouldn't care. Petty and cultic response to a dumb sign.

[@ws1814]

First of all, it the regulators/council approve and the clients want the TRUMP sign on, then it doesn’t matter what the architect or some architecture critic or some ransom people want. The same way your neighbors can’t tell you to do what with your house( assuming you are not breaking any codes). Also shouldn’t Chicago worry about all the murders and crimes instead of a sign on a building???

[@scpatl4now]

You have obviously never lived under the tyranny of an HOA my friend... 🤣🤣🤣 🙄 😒

[@RoySATX]

Misleading video titles are a rather HUGE problem as well. This video isn't about signage, it's about Trump. All other things being the same, if instead of Trump the letters spelled out Biden, Pelosi. or Obama I am certain very few if any of these people would see it as an issue and instead would be arguing that any opposition was racist or misogynistic.

[@skyscraperfan]

The "special" thing about Trump Tower Chicago is that is one of the least energy efficient skyscrapers built in the last decade. While "green" buildings are the trend, this tower is exactly the opposite.

[@JohnFromAccounting]

What do you expect when building glass walls? Its a giant greenhouse.

[@skyscraperfan]

@@JohnFromAccounting The Bank of America Tower in New York City also is a glass building, but that one is a green building.

[@mkoury83]

Wasn’t built in the last decade. Any examples of how it is not energy, efficient? Or is this just a feeling you have?

[@JohnFromAccounting]

@@skyscraperfan There are no green buildings with primarily glass except for actual greenhouses. The WTC was a much greener design by limiting the amount of heat through radiation that could enter, thus reducing the cost of air conditioning. Less glass = easier to keep cool.

[@jamesmoore1532]

Building construction started in 2005, it opened in 09. As for energy efficiency was it the Architect, developer, or city code that is to blame?

[@primalconvoy]

The neon museum remins me of "Fallout New Vegas", both the general decor around the game's scenery and in two areas; the neon sign repair shop in New/Las Vegas proper, and the walled-in neon sign "graveyard" which surrounds a vault, inhabited by raiders (itself a previous neon sign repair yard).

[@SarahRenz59]

I was happy to see Blair Kamin make an appearance, and look forward to the longer video. I enjoyed reading Blair's columns in the Chicago Tribune.

[@spooky.-]

Probably my favorite Chicago skyscraper tbh.

[@johnyoung5820]

Great video, Stewart. I consider myself an architecture dilettante, having earned the degree but never having used it since I chose flying and technology as my career path. You cover a fascinating myriad of topics not touched in my five years of studying statics, steel, concrete, arch & art history and designing countless row houses, community centers and museum spaces. I'm currently an adjunct teaching technology to business students, but if I was teaching a studio class in architecture school, your videos would be on my list of required viewing. That said, Kamin says the quiet part out loud as to the real reason for the resistance to the Trump sign and arguments about place and scale are pretextual. In reality, the sign here isn't meant to denote a place or function, but rather serves as a monument to someone who is arguably a megalomaniac. All of Trump's properties exhibit aesthetically jarring signage. I'm sure someone somewhere has studied the psychology of signage, but it doesn't take much imagination to make the connection between the style and the man.

[@nicofettuccine2785]

Arguably? That's diplomatic.

[@nonoluigi]

Good subject. I missed hearing any reference to Klingman’s on-topic theory of “Brandscapes,.”

[@stewarthicks]

Oh, that's new to me. I'll check it out! Thanks for the reference.

[@ABB14-11]

This came just in time! My client wants the facade to be filled with signages for the 30 shops inside

[@packardcaribien]

Eh. If someone owns a building they should be able to put their name/logo on it. If you remove Trump and imagine if it was Bill Gates or someone else less controversial.... The argument becomes a lot weaker, only based in aesthetics.

[@HVACSoldier]

Exactly. IF an airline bought the building, and put 24 foot letters at the top of the building, hardly anyone would have a problem with it.

[@moover123]

Noone should be allowed to put TRUMP on a building

[@sub_bacchus]

eh, it would be super tacky whatever person / brand it represented

[@gumbyshrimp2606]

@@sub_bacchus if it was a Macy’s sign people would think it was “classy@

[@HVACSoldier]

@@gumbyshrimp2606 Basically, IF it had a name that people on the left liked, there wouldn’t be ANY debate on the size of the letters.

[@73caddydaddy93]

I don't see it as that much of an issue. Taking the divisiveness out of the equation, it's a pretty clean signage that isn't tied into any fads of a specific period, and it's not blinking or changing color so it blends in pretty well. If the color temperature of the signs lighting was a little warmer it wouldn't even be noticed in the sea of lighted windows in the surrounding buildings.

[@lancemillward1912]

Melbourne has pop up restaurants that have no names but rely on social media to relay their purpose.

[@MN12warbird]

I love how the sears tower, for all its notoriety has never had a sign adorned to it stating its name. I love how its architecture says everything words cannot. It took the trump tower to understand why that fact puts sears above it. It stood nearly 40 years before losing its title as worlds tallest and in those 40 years till this day, still no sign. If that isnt staying power, despite the fact its not the tallest building anymore, then idk what is.. Its like looking at a camaro a Silverado and across the top is banner saying Chevrolet. Like gee thanks like i didn't know chevy makes cars n trucks.... just as we don't need a sign to tell us whose building im protesting in front of...

[@christopherstephenjenksbsg4944]

I lived in Boston for about ten years starting in 1977, and the Citgo sign in Kenmore Square was one of the identifying features of the city, appearing in nearly every shot of Red Sox games at Fenway Park. In those days it was a neon sign, and it often malfunctioned, with portions of the sign burnt out or not "performing" properly for months at a time. I understand it has now been replaced with an LED version of the same sign, which is much more reliable, but the old sign had its quirky charm -- a symbol of a kind of down-and-dirty Boston -- the Boston of those who live there rather than the Boston of tourists and the Freedom Trail. I have rather the same feelings about Times Square. It was down and dirty when I was growing up. It reminded me of Paul Simon's song "The Boxer" with its "come-on from the whores on 7th Avenue" line. That Times Square was dirty and dangerous, but it was "Real" in a way that the current flashy, cleaned-up version of Times Square is not. Maybe this is a case of misplaced nostalgia on my part, but I like the old version of Times Square better.

[@scpatl4now]

The thing with very old neon signs is that they are 1. Very expensive to work on because you have to bring them up to current local electrical codes 2. Neon tubes as they age change in color so when you swap out a new one it will sometimes stick out like a sore thumb, meaning you have to replace all of them that are the same color (unless it is a clear tube that has no coating which is the standard orange color of a clear tube pumped with neon gas). Number one is usually the most expensive though since you would not believe what a wiring rats nest some of these older signs look like.

[@christopherstephenjenksbsg4944]

@@scpatl4now Thanks. I was unaware of these details. That makes a lot of sense.

[@scpatl4now]

@@christopherstephenjenksbsg4944 It's a shame they went to LEDs though. They just aren't the same, and an iconic sign like that should have been preserved.

[@petemavus2948]

@@scpatl4now I find all the new types of lighting harsh and without nuance, sign of the times maybe🤣

[@SequoiaElisabeth]

Reading over the comments, I find this topic to be so subjective. The owner of the building should be able to do as they please within reason. Safety comes first. An ugly sign or unpopular connotation carries its own price.

[@stevencipriano3962]

I think the Salesforce sign is just as intrusive as the Trump sign...especially at night

[@Ugly_German_Truths]

Seriously, the public does NOT own the landscape. If you make somebody pay big money to be allowed to build, they can do whatever they want optically to the product. Micromanaging the looks or outward details like this seems to pose a gross overstepping of government authority.

[@wadeguidry6675]

Adrian Smith is an architect? He also plays lead guitar for Iron Maiden! Very talented indeed.

[@dr.jiIIaIicecooper2587]

Just like Dickinson flying a 747

[@RANDALLBRIGGS]

So, in the episode about the controversies over houses that don't fit into their neighborhoods, the opinions of the residents of the neighborhood were dismissed as shortsighted. Here, on the issue of downtown building signage, it is recommended that public opinion be given great consideration. So how is it supposed to be? Does public opinion count, or does it not? Or does it count downtown, but not in a residential area? Here's what I suspect. It's not that the sign is too big or too garish or too low (all of which I think it is, BTW), but rather that the sign says TRUMP. For the record, I don't like the sign and I despise Trump. But I think there's an inconsistency here. Would the sign be OK if it said OBAMA? Or BIDEN? Or CLINTON? If those names would be OK, then maybe the real issue is not the size or the placement of the sign, but rather whose name it bears. And that raises some sticky questions.

[@olegandriushchenko9249]

Personally, i dont see any problem with this sign

[@silencesays228]

Do you think it might be possible that at some time in the future that huge LCD screens on the exterior of the building could be used to project images of architecture that can be changed to suit mood or trends? Regarding legacy signs, a building in my neighborhood was recently renovated and a sign from around 100 years ago was found. The owners of the building kept the sign and changed the name of the business to match. The neighborhood is happy with the result.

[@TheLurker1647]

It's a private building, they should be able to do what they want. Zoning laws, by and large, are tyranny.

[@angel-7119]

no one is above the law and the law does not care about your feelings. tyranny comes from those who think they are above the law. chicago politics and business men like trump are one in the same.. corrupt little piglets.

[@Sam-qn4ly]

this whole thing seems like a pretty huge cope. What happened to just not liking something? Now we need to create legislation that probably violates the 1st amendment all while giving the guy much more attention.

[@clintmailahn6034]

Stewart I appreciate your videos. They have inspired me to figure out why architecture from the 1870s - 1920s was so naturally beautiful. - If you are looking for content - A home I come across was the Rose Terrace built by the auto maker widow wife. Anna Dodge. There is a KZbin video on it. I did a Linked In post and here is what it said. ----- Rose Terrace. Built to last 200+ years. Demolished just 42 years later. Built by the widow of one of the Dodge brothers. Completed in 1934. Anna Thompson Dodge was worth equivalent to 2 Billion Dollars when her husband died in 1919. She purchased lavish things like yachts, servants, and art work. Anna died in 1970. The home was willed to her next of kin. However did not leave money for up keep and taxes. The home went on the market for just over a million and had no takers. With back taxes and lack of up keep over 6 years the home was torn down in 1976. Anna spent all the money and left nothing for the next generation but a home they could not afford. I think about this. How I spend my money and how Congress spends our money. ------ Thank you. Clint

[@asmallphd9648]

Its just a sign, wtf

[@jeffreyImmel8]

I work for a civil engineering consulting firm and for the past year I’ve attended planning commission & or zoning board of appeals meetings to argue just for signs. We were arguing on behalf of our client (big box retail store) and it was often a tough fight. I couldn’t understand why people were so against signs in a massive parking lot. I’ve tried to explain to people why I have to go to these meetings and it was always so difficult. Now I’ll just send them this video!

[@corentinguillo5577]

Buildings in my city (Paris, France) don't have signs. But I like it this way

[@jmac3327]

The brief history of signage was enjoyable and illuminating. The centering of the discussion on the Trump sign was rather embarrassing as it focused upon the distaste for the personality and not architectural aesthetics, which, by any measure are entirely subjective. Many architects derive pleasure from the work of Mendes da Rocha, while a portion of the public finds it irremediably hideous. Some may decry Times Square as a cesspool of vulgar commercialism and sensory overload, while others take delight in the visual scintillation and the crowds wandering through the area.

[@dmac6004]

You might want to investigate this but I have read that there are minimum, yes minimum regulations some of which you mention but the most interesting is to regulate minimum lighting level.

[@CaptainXJ]

Reminds me of where I live for some reason liquor stores are just covered in signs. It looks awful but the idea of government telling you what you can and can't do with your own property is even worse.

[@douglasfur3808]

The philosophical discussion of signs and the difference between things as things in themselves has been around at least 1000years. A building that is weak in character as a thing needs a sign. The retroactive stretching of language theory to apply it to the built environment, at best, confuses the relationship of sign to thing. "Signs cannot help in understanding things as such, because they do not signify anything unless a person already knows about the concept/thing it signifies. He has so famously claimed, "Nothing is learned through its signs" (Augustine 166). He further explains it to his son that "When a sign is given to me, it can teach me nothing if it finds me ignorant of the thing of which it is the sign; but if I'm not ignorant, what do I learn through the sign?" (Augustine 166).

[@thesilentone4024]

People also hate change for some reason but the name was to say hey I made this not to hinder or hurt people with his name. Question can you talk about the benefits of thirsty concrete. Like reduce flooding and sand mining helping ecosystems and reduced noise pollution by 20 to 30% depending on the thickness. Ps las vegas sweeps its streets weekly to monthly and on the back theres a vacuum. Thirsty cement you can only use a vacuum to clean em so very little changes will be needed for the sweepers to make em work for the new road.

[@DougWilliams06]

Buddy... you must be my neighbor because your videos show everywhere I go in Chicago.

[@PLuMUK54]

Perhaps Stewart Hicks is stalking you 😳

[@JohnFromAccounting]

The Trump Tower in Chicago exemplifies American capitalism. It's all about building bigger and better than anyone else, sticking your name on it to make sure nobody forgets who you are. Trump Tower has its place in Chicago, and it will stay there for a long time.

[@thevikingbear2343]

The Coca Cola sign in Times Square is one of the signs that is beloved throughout generations, but is is regularly replaced by a newer Coca Cola sign as styles change. Nobody seems bothered by the sign being replaced, just that the new sign is still a Coca Cola sign.

[@RTTRn]

Just imagine the Trump tower was called the Obama tower. How different the sentiment would be 🤦‍♂️

[@jamesslate1026]

Great interview with Blair Kamin. I have read his reviews in the Tribune for years, but had no idea what he looked like. I can think of an example in Chicago that expresses the adage that "good wine needs no bush". Ikram Goldberg has her eponymous boutique on East Huron in River North. Though the front façade has her signature red colour, there's no sign. Either you know and appreciate her exclusive clothing, or you don't need to shop there.

[@ElarBela]

What a great joy to be getting mid-western perspective and examples rather than the usual east coast.

[@gavinlittle9376]

I don't get the big deal with this. American cities are hardly known for their beauty and the sign doesn't really affect the overall feel or look of the city. I don't like Trump but i get the feeling this is a political issue rather than an architectural one. Would be happy if someone could enlighten me.

[@aodhganmerrimac]

So why exactly are the a "Huge Problem"?Tastes & needs change & as you said signage is usually pretty transitory (Not that I'm against regulating & sometime limiting them) but we have to be careful when speaking of them not impose the view of today on other times. Kenmore Sq in Boston wouldn't be Kenmore Sq without our CITGO sign. :)

[@davideastham]

Sits on the former location of the Chicago Sun-Times building. I used to work in the Merchandise Mart during it's construction.

[@MisledNeNick]

The lil phone chime at 4:26 derailed my focus on the video so hard.

[@lessdanthree]

i work in media and video mapping, growing up i wanted to be someone that would change how we see the world around us. Although i know it can be cool to have video all over a building , that to me is like special event otherwise I honestly hate the idea of video signs all over. My new job is working with smart displays and fine art. I think if signs are going to be apart of future or even if it gets to how like futuristic renders of say floating signs and hologram type signs, we should shift into them being more works of art. Maybe in a way like how you're saying with the evolution of barber shop poles or the tavern signs, go backwards a little even if digital signs are a thing, and make it more artistic rather than in your face. like it would be great to walk on a street and maybe it looks like a bunch of fireflies and nice lights above you but from across the street it's actually all spelling out the businesses, but as a pedestrian otherwise it would look like you're just in a nice fantasy city or something until you see that. Or in the future with the use of AR tech it can just look like pretty atmospheric lights but with our phones or glasses we see what businesses are and can turn that on and off so that we're not distracted by ugly ads and signs all over...

[@majid7925]

Signs are nice in one specific area but all signs including off premice ones should not be legal. Luckily in the Netherlands we have strict rules about that and only allow highway billboards and shop signs and even than they are strictly regulated.

[@Michaelengelmann]

Yea. It’s a shame bc I loved the DCEU & that movie was great IMO. And he could’ve said “I’ll fight Shazam but Cavill is still Superman “ He seriously had the pull to do this IMO & I hope he still can. They already reconned the first Shazam suit in the sequel. And why did they even feel the need to do that? Every time an MCU character has a new outfit there’s no retcons. 🙄🤦🏽‍♂️

[@madeinhawaii]

Hawaii has strict signage laws. Dave and Busters had to downsize theirs. Also no billboards. An anti abortion van with digital signage was banned in the early 2000s. Our outdoor Circle and Siera Club are two organizations that regularly help to enforce the signage laws.

[@dagwould]

What a great sign! The architecture 'critic' just gives us a non-sequitur as to his view that it is inappropriate. It's not; its a wonderful theatrical gesture, flamboyant, bold, assertive...perfect Trump. Perfect for stuck-up Chicago. Buildings and their settings are not static, anonymous 'pieces of architecture' as though they are walk-in sculptures; they are social contributions of individuals...they can do with them what they like. IMO.

[@davidrogers8030]

Maybe public advertising should be banned to mitigate road safety distractions, and that to children for mental health reasons. It would save a fortune.

[@CubeAtlantic]

i always love dope & fascinating building signage or LED's are they're quite honestly reliable & easy to identify a store, gas station et-cetra but it's unique how some states or areas don't have this.