[Tom Servo]

@LouisVanDerWright

It's not so much that I'm in love with the open plaza in any and all applications. I'm in love with the open plaza when it works well with a building's design. And I feel that the generally austere and futuristic design of this building lends itself to a base designed in a similar fashion. It's use wouldn't differ in anyway, and I wasn't saying I think we need some kind of grand new civic space. I was merely venting my frustration with what is, in my opinion, a hideous design. I really just fundamentally hate the tower in a park design. I believe buildings and parks should remain separate in all cases. And specifically here, I think the design of the building is marred by the greenery and stupid curved pathways.

This is Chicago. Straight lines, right angles. Curves are only accepted in limited cases.

Inanyevent, I just wish we weren't so needlessly afraid of hard, blank surfaces. If greenery and summertime picnic spots is so vital to one's daily life, then perhaps The Village of Northbrook, Illinois is more suitable to their needs.

Edit: I just want to be clear. I'm not making some kind of absurd statement about how everything should be concrete and steel or whatever else along those lines. I'm not saying I don't like parks. I'm saying I think this building looks added atop a landscape architect's whimsical park design... just poor site integration from the start as I don't see why the greenery is necessary in the first place. But more to the point, the juxtaposition of curves against straight, veryical lines is too stark. Anyway, like I said, I think parks and buildings should always remain separate, however I do think there are many ways to incorporate greenery into the plaza of a building. Ways that make sense and that echo the design of the tower itself. Look at the CCTV tower in China. Its huge plaza is filled with greenery, though it is thoughtfully integrated and designed into the plaza itself, not simply a tower in a park. That's all. I'm done.