An eco-skyscraper and the rest of the best design stuff this week

As a rookie design reporter, I spend a lot of time looking at things, feeling walls contemplatively, and asking a lot of difficult questions, like “What would you call this color?” and “May I sit in that chair for important research purposes?”

Well, not exactly. I’ve learned pretty quickly that design isn’t just about how things look. Design has to do with — and I’m not exaggerating here — just about everything. Every week, I’m sharing five things I’ve seen in the Chicago design world, and a little bit about what I learned from them.

1. Stanley Tigerman

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One of architect Stanley Tigerman’s prints on display at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art.

2. Canopy

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I turned to Canopy to Christmas-shop for curated, well-designed gifts (all of which are available on Amazon).

3. Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art

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Plans for growth at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art.

4. Unbranded Single Cord Chair

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An Unbranded Designs piece by Josh Shiau. Photo by Unbranded Designs.

5. Pertamina Tower

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Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill released renderings of its stunning, 99-story Pertamina Tower. The building will harvest its own energy using a wind funnel, and will accommodate 20,000 employees. Rendering from SOM.