Sneak Peak of Helmut Jahn's Futuristic U of C Dome

[Inside the Mansueto Library Dome by Cheryl Rusnak via Flickr]
With nary a construction crane to be seen in downtown Chicago, we're left to look elsewhere for any significant new construction in Chicago. The Mansueto Library dome that's under construction at the University of Chicago fits the bill. German architect Helmut Jahn channeled his inner Buckminster Fuller when he designed this futuristic book vault, which will clash mightily with the brutalism of the neighboring Regenstein Library and the Gothic limestone on the other side of 57th Street. Work on the dome stalled this summer, when construction crews went on strike, but it's moving forward again, and it looks like most of the glass panels have been installed. The dome is scheduled for completion next spring.