In Lynn Becker’s report on impending Michael Reese demolition founder Grahm Belkany informed us that the City of Chicago, in wanton disregard of the great cultural, historical, and ecological value of the Michael Reese Hosptial Campus, has destroyed nearly all of its landscaping. Almost all the trees and ground cover have been scraped bare, and with it, the legacy of the landscape architects Hideo Sasaki and Lester Collins. According to Grahm, what remains are only those trees that shield public view of the destruction scene at the MRH Campus as seen from the surrounding streets. Grahm’s photos show the lovely “before” and the disgusting aftermath committed by the city just a few days ago.

This landscape in this area constituted what art and architecture critic Lynn Becker calls ”some of the most beautiful landscapes in the city.” One can only imagine what the soundscape was like then and now, as the MRH Campus is adjacent to Lake Shore Drive: a busy expressway parallel with the shoreline of Lake Michigan. Continue reading Destruction of Sasaki and Collins Landscaping at Michael Reese Hospital Campus