For the past ten years, behind the brick walls of an industrial building in the Irving Park section of Chicago, the Grammy Award-winning, genre-bending Wilco, and many of their musical guests, have been not-so-quietly making music.

According to Jason Tobias, the band’s tour manager, who also handles the Wilco Loft, “Not a lot of people know where it is exactly. The neighborhood allows the Loft to keep a low profile, which is essentially the desired effect. A few die-hard fans know and have been pretty cool with keeping it the secret it is intended to be.”

Anyone with a DVD player, however, can go inside the Wilco Loft—it served as the backdrop for Sam Jones’s 2002 documentary I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, filmed during the tumultuous production of the band’s near-mythic album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. That album, famously dropped by the band’s label for being “uncommercial,” went on to become Wilco’s biggest commercial success. So, it’s no wonder the band continues to record there. Frontman Jeff Tweedy invites local and like-minded musicians to share the space’s ability to produce incredible sound.

Just last year, musician Andrew Bird spent four days recording at the Loft. He spent the entire first day arranging the studio space just to get the right violin sound. Using microphones placed around the room, he was able to pick up the acoustics of his violin as well as the sound of the amps bouncing off the walls. The sixty-plus guitars sitting around the room all hummed along, as the vibrations from everything else shook and resonated the steel strings, adding even more texture to the sound. The Loft is, essentially, an instrument of its own.

Somehow getting the strings of 60 guitars to vibrate together, without ever touching them, might seem fantastical, but the Loft’s “brick box” layout allows for such playful effects. “The stairwell, elevator, and bathroom have all been utilized for specific sounds while recording,” says Tobias. Grocery-carrying neighbors have been known to take the stairs when Wilco is recording in the elevator.

So the building itself actually shapes the recording? Yes and no, answers Tobias. “We have built out some things here and there to make it a bit more functional for recording, but most of the uniqueness comes from the gear.”

Forget bric-a-brac; Wilco’s “gear” crowds every inch of the space—pianos, keyboards, sound boards, guitars, amps (new and old) fight for elbow room over a mishmash of traditional Oriental rugs. A row of communal bunk beds lines one end of the room, perfect for creative catnaps or to houseguests before and after tours, but no one sleeps there on a regular basis.

Although categorized as a live/work space, the Loft is conveniently within walking distance from where Tweedy lives, so the space is mostly work.

While many musicians choose to set up shop in a living room, bedroom, or basement because of a lack of other options, Wilco’s decision to create music in their own self-sufficient live/work space has definitely worked in the band’s favor.

And why not take the reins of their own recording? Tweedy and his bandmates know how much recording studio fees add to the unnecessary pressure to make every minute in a rented studio count. The purchase of the Wilco Loft was not just a stroke of creative genius, but a wise economical move. Turns out Tweedy and his fellow Wilco members are also very shrewd businessmen.

Having access to one’s own studio also changes the entire process of creating an album, notes Tweedy. With an extended period of time for the recording process, each member of the band has that much more time to experiment with the band’s museum-quality collection of interesting and ultra-rare instruments.

Feel like creating bold imagery out of raw sound, as the band did on A Ghost Is Born? Alter the levels with an MCI soundboard. Want to capture a shift of tone with lyrics like “she begs me/ not to hit her”? Reach for that rare 1965 Fender Jazzmaster—or experiment by being less “experimental,” as they did with their 2007 release, Sky Blue Sky. “From old radios, classic amps, posters, vintage recording equipment, hundreds of new and vintage guitars and drums, [the Loft] is basically a candy store for musicians,” notes Tobias.

The variety of items used to produce and distort sound is fitting, because, as Tweedy explains, “the nature of my musical interest is to be pretty curious and to shift.” Just like the everchanging, unintentional design of the Wilco Loft itself.

“The space is constantly evolving,” says Tobias. “During the ‘Yankee period’ things felt open and spacious, and now things are a lot more condensed, due to acquisitions. If something needs to be moved or set up in a specific place, something else needs to be moved in order to accommodate it. It’s a constant challenge to make it spacious, organized, and functional.” Wilco (the album), the band’s seventh album (released on Nonesuch Records), includes a track called “You And I,” featuring Canadian chanteuse Feist, that was recorded entirely in the space. This time around, the band was able to truly “sculptthe sound” according to Tweedy. Turns out the seventh member of Wilco is the Irving Park Loft itself.

Story by Caroline Henley
Photography by Charles Harris

The Vianese architect Alexander Loebell proves it’s not impossible to raise a family in a loft.

Photography by Christopher Theurer

Story by Sherry Jo Williams
Photography by Jonas Briels

Amsterdam is a petite but powerful magnet for travellers of every stripe – be they hippies seeking out green-stickered coffee shops or the cultured, craving Van Gogh and Vermeer—or vice versa. To a visitor, the city’s incongruity of the traditional and the avant-garde is clearly evident. To a local, it’s relished like a good pipe.

Even A’dam’s preferred modes of transportation reflect this sense of cultural democracy. Whereas cars outnumber bikes in American cities, the reverse is true in this shortlisted candidate for “European Green Capital 2010.”
So, to travel like a denizen, rent a bicycle, lease an electric bike-taxi, or take advantage of the world-class public transportation system and hop on a tram, bus, metro, or ferry. At least one serpentine cruise along the canals is mandatory.

Near Centraal Station, you’ll find The 9 Straatjes, a suite of cozy, but bustling streets that almost magically become elaborate bridges that meander over sudden canals. It’s here that quintessential Dutch contemporary designs can be found. Many of the shops along these cobblestone roads are teeming with opportunity, but ➋ The Frozen Fountain is a definite winner. More gallery than shop, its mix of limited-edition furniture, fabrics, rugs, and accessories, is often commissioned from Dutch masters such as Hella Jongerius and Piet Hein Eek. Paul Koeleman, a prominent book and graphic designer says, “Frozen Fountain’s commitment to Dutch artisans, both known and emerging, is invaluable.”

After roaming through this chic neighborhood, take a moment to pause at ➌ Droog, the dramatically appointed headquarters of the powerful design brand. In a refurbished three-story structure which dates back to 1641, passionate fans of 21st-Century design can experience the infamous “Chest of Drawers” by Tejo Remy or Marcel Wanders’ “Knotted Chair.”

Another inspiring example of recycled architecture is ➑ Sprmrkt. LoftLife’s other A’dam expert, Marcel Schreuder from Springtime design (an international firm with clients ranging from Coca-Cola to Nike), loves this place. “The name is a clever abbreviation from its previous incarnation as a supermarket,” explains Shreuder. Not far from the 9 Straatjes, SPRMRKT mixes furniture and fashion from local designers with an impressive bookstore stocked with publications like vintage Domus magazines, plus an inviting café.

Surrounding the 9 Straatjes is the much larger Jordaan district. Built in the 1600s, it was established as central housing for the workers of this rapidly expanding city. Strolling through The Jordaan, you’ll find a broad menu of shopping options.

The major must-see is ➐ Jessica Padt’s marvelous upholstery workshop and showroom. Her success hinges on an impressive assortment: from work by Kvadrat Maharam to the unique, vintage textiles she’s found. She welcomes “classic to modern, retro to kitsch” pieces and specialises in Artifort (an important Dutch upholstery label from the 60s). Given the lean global economy, there’s been a newfound appreciation for her refreshing heirlooms that are more than reasonably priced. Koeleman is an unabashed fan of Jessica Padt’s studio and her skills, calling her “an indispensable asset.”

At the northern tip of The Jordaan, stands the distinguished  ➒ Westerhuis. Founded by design icon, Marcel Wanders, this former schoolhouse is now a hive of activity with  the moooia prominent gallery showcased on the ground floor, firms specializing in art and culture throughout, and The Hub, an open-plan space on the top floor with temporary desks, internet access, and a library. For those who skipped “Dutch Design 101,” Rietveld’s revolutionary red and blue lacquered lounge chair in the 1920s established the Netherlands as a leader in the world of design, and The Westerhuis is further proof that this trend is alive and kicking.

If you’re into the vintage look, check out ➍ Anno for exceptional late 20th-Century furnishings. Our experts, Koeleman and Schreuder, both love Anno’s sexy 60s upholstery by Pierre Paulin. Anno also carry 70s pieces from Magis, as well as current labels like Kartell, and Dutch super-star, ARP, known for their beautifully executed wooden tables and seating, a natural choice for any sparse space.

Heading south to the Museumplein, it’s impossible to miss The Stedelijk, “the MoMA of Holland.” Established in 1895, renovations to this grand old building are expected to be completed December 2009. Until then, with typical Dutch resourcefulness, a portable initiative is touring the city via pre-fab construction cabins. Called ➊ “Stedelijk Goes to Town” these newsstand-sized mobile units keep the museum’s collection available by housing temporary art exhibitions and performances.

Next to investigate is De Pijp, a quaint area with a vibrant scene. Like its neighboring ’hoods, De Pijp is a study in contradictions. Juxtaposing Amsterdam’s charm with the super-hip is ➓ Sid Lee Collective, an internatio nal creative agency focused on communications and branding. The Collective sports an expansive gallery, boutique, and café, ideal for those hungry for design or food. As Koeleman points out: “It’s great—music, art, cuisine, and in my neighborhood!”

Nearby is the popular ➎ Vintage Home, a highly recommended high-end source of furnishings from Aalto to Eames, plus surprises from the 30s to 80s. Constantly changing the look of the showroom, the founder is eager to display these important classics in a comfy setting. It’s a great place to treat yourself to an Aldo van den Nieuwelaar collectible, a 70s Grundig hi-fi speaker, or a 60s Saarinen marble table.

Before leaving the De Pijp—or Amsterdam for that matter, all sightseers must explore at least one of the dozens of specialty outdoor markets. The Albert Cuyp Market is the largest and most well known of the open-air bazaars around town and is conveniently open six days a week. Packed with a lively mix of antiques, Asian imports, and obligatory bric-a-brac, the Albert Cuyp Market is also well stocked with fresh, local food purveyors.

Both Schreuder and Koeleman insist that any guide to this unique city is incomplete without a suggested walk through the transitional neighborhood of KNSM Eiland. Here, you’ll discover a real prize, ➏ The Pols Potten Winkel (winkel=shop), a mixture of private label and top name furniture and products. Pols Potten pride themselves on selling handmade goods that are “subtle, innovative, with a hint of quirkiness,” in other words, the epitome of Amsterdam.

Amsterdam still sits squarely on the shoulders of sturdy dikes, technically below sea level, but obviously well above the common ground in architecture, interiors, and innovation. A visit to the capital of the Netherlands, for the first or fiftieth time, is guaranteed to satisfy the most blasé urbanite. The wise and weathered Dutch still offer the fruit of 400 years of savvy experience and international trade, plus the bonus of world-class designers from the last ten years. And all are equally welcome to explore Amsterdam’s notorious neighborhoods, share its Old World warmth, and revel in the future projected by its rich design.