Architect Bertrand Goldberg was born in 1913 in Chicago, Illinois. He received his training at several institutions including the Bauhaus in Berlin, and through a tutorial with engineer Frank Nydam. He organized his own firm in 1937 after working in the offices of George Fred Keck (1935) and Paul Schweiker (1935-36). During his career his unique design philosophy and innovative use of technology were acknowledged through numerous awards and exhibitions in the United States and Europe. Goldberg died in Chicago in 1997.

Goldberg's work initially focused on small, intimate projects: residential design, industrial design, and small-scale commercial architecture. In 1959 he began work on Marina City, a unique mixed-use residential and commercial complex on the bank of the Chicago river. Widely recognized as an iconic architectural landmark, it was the first of many large-scale commissions that defined Goldberg's later career; Notable among these were residential projects such as Raymond Hillard Homes and River City, as well as educational and health care facilities.