CHICAGO | Fordham Spire | NEVER BUILT | Former proposal for the Chicago Spire site

[rgolch]

Originally Posted by Magnus1

at one time this was a beautiful project.

Those old renders are nice, but that spire was far too large for that building. I much prefer the current design.

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by Magnus1

at one time this was a beautiful project.

Oh what a sad sad loss. I'd take an empty lot over the current Chicago Spire. The Fortham Spire worked much more with the Chicago Skyline.

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by Patrick

Oh what a sad sad loss. I'd take an empty lot over the current Chicago Spire. The Fortham Spire worked much more with the Chicago Skyline.

Not really.

We already have 2 flat top supertall buildings with poles on top, with one on the way (Trump Tower). We didn't need another.

[CGII]

Originally Posted by Patrick

Oh what a sad sad loss. I'd take an empty lot over the current Chicago Spire. The Fortham Spire worked much more with the Chicago Skyline.

I find it laughable how many times you bring up the subject of how the Chicago Spire destroys the Chicago skyline and whatnot, when the big three that comprise the current skyline in Chicago have all respectively 'destroyed' their part of the skyline by totally dominating it in the same sense that Chicago Spire will. Considering the tremendous infill going on in Streeterville (like the Waldorf Astoria) to the North and the ridiculously tall Lakeshore East plan the entire area of downtown that Chicago Spire sits in will be inundated with new buildings. LSE is going to be one of the densest areas in North America, and the height of the buildings there (including Aqua, the BCBS vertical expansion, 340 On The Park and the unnamed Arquitectonica building) will make Aon just a meager peak in that area. If Chicago Spire wasn't built, that area would just lump out in terms of the skyline. Chicago's skyline is going to fill up a lot faster and a lot more pronounced than I think you realize.

Judge for yrself (renderings by Ryan81)




Seriously, if you think Chicago Spire is going to destroy the Chicago skyline you must be flipping shit about all the other tall stuff being built around there.

[Magnus1]

i liked A too.

Does anyone have the different proposals saved? i would like to see them again.
Finding them amongst the thousands of Chi Spire posts is just too much of a headache right now.

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by CGII

I find it laughable how many times you bring up the subject of how the Chicago Spire destroys the Chicago skyline and whatnot, when the big three that comprise the current skyline in Chicago have all respectively 'destroyed' their part of the skyline by totally dominating it in the same sense that Chicago Spire will. Considering the tremendous infill going on in Streeterville (like the Waldorf Astoria) to the North and the ridiculously tall Lakeshore East plan the entire area of downtown that Chicago Spire sits in will be inundated with new buildings. LSE is going to be one of the densest areas in North America, and the height of the buildings there (including Aqua, the BCBS vertical expansion, 340 On The Park and the unnamed Arquitectonica building) will make Aon just a meager peak in that area. If Chicago Spire wasn't built, that area would just lump out in terms of the skyline. Chicago's skyline is going to fill up a lot faster and a lot more pronounced than I think you realize.

Seriously, if you think Chicago Spire is going to destroy the Chicago skyline you must be flipping shit about all the other tall stuff being built around there.

I DO like the Fordham Spire, I hate the Chicago Spire's fugly shape and height. I DO like the idea of a Supertall in that location but not like the Chicago Spire. Bleh! The Fordham Spire would have made a perfect addition to the skyline, the Chicago Spire is just too tall and oddly shaped for my taste. Jeeeese we all have our own opinions?

[ardecila]

Architecture is not just about the broad strokes, but also about the little things. "God is in the details" was an important axiom for Mies van der Rohe and, by extension, the entire Second Chicago School of architecture.

Santiago Calatrava has produced a work of absolute GENIUS on all scales. The shape of the tower was pretty much dictated by Kelleher and the economics on the project, which demanded enough sellable floor space to balance out the superdiculous costs of the extensive foundation. The lobby design, Calatrava's signature designs that extend down to the doorknobs, and the breathtaking curtain wall designed for the building more than balance out the shape, which I admit is not quite as inspiring as the Fordham original.

[JDRCRASH]

With the new version, shouldn't it come close to the top floor with the Burj?

[i_am_hydrogen]

Originally Posted by Magnus1

Does anyone have the different proposals saved? i would like to see them again.

Previous designs, starting with the most recent:
Version E:


Version D:


Version C:


Version B: (my favorite)


Version A:

[cbotnyse]

Vesion C is so awful.

[arlekin_m]

^some people felt really strongly about it, believe it or not

[Lecom]

Never liked it. Subsequent versions were much better. Version C was probably my favorite of the four.

[JDRCRASH]

Originally Posted by CGII

I find it laughable how many times you bring up the subject of how the Chicago Spire destroys the Chicago skyline and whatnot, when the big three that comprise the current skyline in Chicago have all respectively 'destroyed' their part of the skyline by totally dominating it in the same sense that Chicago Spire will. Considering the tremendous infill going on in Streeterville (like the Waldorf Astoria) to the North and the ridiculously tall Lakeshore East plan the entire area of downtown that Chicago Spire sits in will be inundated with new buildings. LSE is going to be one of the densest areas in North America, and the height of the buildings there (including Aqua, the BCBS vertical expansion, 340 On The Park and the unnamed Arquitectonica building) will make Aon just a meager peak in that area. If Chicago Spire wasn't built, that area would just lump out in terms of the skyline. Chicago's skyline is going to fill up a lot faster and a lot more pronounced than I think you realize.

Judge for yrself (renderings by Ryan81)




Seriously, if you think Chicago Spire is going to destroy the Chicago skyline you must be flipping shit about all the other tall stuff being built around there.

Oh don't worry; Patrick isn't a SoCal troll, he's just likes to do this period, wherever he is.

[CGII]

Originally Posted by Patrick

Ohh Boyy, CGII, one hella annoying smartass. I DO like the Fordham Spire, I hate the Chicago Spire's fugly shape and height. I DO like the idea of a Supertall in that location but not like the Chicago Spire. Bleh! The Fordham Spire would have made a perfect addition to the skyline, the Chicago Spire is just too tall and oddly shaped for my taste. Jeeeese we all have our own opinions, so really now, hush.

Fine if you like or don't like it, but you're reasoning on the basis of 'zomg it'll totally destroy Chicago' is just ludicrous, when other buildings in Chi that you love are far more guilty of this.

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

Oh don't worry; Patrick isn't a SoCal troll, he's just likes to do this period, wherever he is.

First of all, I have no idea what you're trying to say, second of all, it was totally uncalled for.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by cbotnyse

Version C is so awful.

Actually, although I hated it at the time, I'm starting to warm up to it. The world's largest, most beautiful smokestack for the City That Works....

The only previous version I still don't like is Version E, which got the curvature totally wrong and looks even more dildo-like than the current design.

[Tom Servo]

Originally Posted by cbotnyse

Vesion C is so awful.

not that i disagree, but i always thought D was plain awful. C was so weird it was almost good.

[pico44]

I believe the current version is very very good. It will be the icon Chicago's skyline has always needed, even if it will intitially be ridiculed for looking like a sex toy. In the end it will be loved by the general public. Most people won't even know other renderings ever existed, which is a good thing because version B is so frickin fantastic that it makes the current design look positively silly. I won't ever be ever to look at it without sighing about what could have been.

[JDRCRASH]

Originally Posted by CGII

Fine if you like or don't like it, but you're reasoning on the basis of 'zomg it'll totally destroy Chicago' is just ludicrous, when other buildings in Chi that you love are far more guilty of this.



First of all, I have no idea what you're trying to say, second of all, it was totally uncalled for.

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by cbotnyse

Vesion C is so awful.

Version C is probably the one that I prefer - the lesser of 5 evils.

[honte]

^ Wow, that's what I call a minority opinion! Bravo.