Chicago Tribune Tower

A sketch of one face of a skyscraper. The bottom half is not very detailed and consists of a few vertical lines. The top half is composed of dense yet freely drawn lines that suggest small arches, points, and ornament. The uppermost portion of the skyscraper is much narrower than the main body. To the right of the sketch are series of numbers that look like addition and multiplication calculations.

Raymond Hood
Tribune Tower, Chicago, sketch no. 2, August 1, 1922
Charcoal on trace paper mounted on board
22¾” × 12”
Raymond Mathewson Hood papers, 1903–1931, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

Using the method he learned at MIT and refined at the École, Hood produced many sketches of the tower throughout the design process. Every new sketch was a chance to experiment with form, proportions, and ornament.