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  #21  
Old Posted Jun 25, 2009, 4:20 PM
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Really like the new proposed hotel next to the Sears. Offers a nice contrast to the stark lines/colors of Sears and presents itself at once as Sears' whimsical sidekick but also has the architecutral presence/gravity to stand alone (it's Kazoo and Dr. Watson all at once).

There's really not a lot of "there" in the SW Loop. This tower could help change that.
     
     
  #22  
Old Posted Jun 25, 2009, 5:13 PM
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... Frankly I'm glad to see that shitty granite go.
...
Me, too ...

Hey, will they sell me a slab or two - I want new kitchen counters ...
     
     
  #23  
Old Posted Jun 25, 2009, 7:34 PM
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Cool CHICAGO | Sears Tower Hotel | 50 FLOORS | Pro

Height: N/A
Floor count: 50
Cost: $225 Million
Architect: Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill
Developer: 233 S. Wacker Drive, LLC


Quote:
The new hotel will feature a host of green/sustainable features, including:

• Sky gardens: Lushly landscaped green spaces at various levels will be among the building’s signature amenities—both for hotel patrons and for viewers from neighboring buildings.

• Solar deck: A naturally lit indoor garden space, covered by a glass dome featuring integrated photovoltaic panels that harvest solar energy, will offer stunning views of the skyline. A louver system will regulate the flow of air through the deck.

• Double-walled exterior: The building facade features one of Chicago’s first double-wall envelopes. Between the walls, an interior air space provides a blanket around the building that traps solar heat, venting it in summer and providing warm air in winter.

• Green roofs/planting terraces: Landscaped event spaces add an outdoor dimension to the luxurious interior, even as they add insulation and reduce storm water runoff.

• Building-integrated wind turbines: A series of wind turbines, strategically placed to harvest wind from the southwest as it flows over the smooth front facade, generate energy for the hotel. Wind is channeled into the turbine openings, which funnel it to accelerate its speed and increase power generation.

• Efficient systems: The latest technology in mechanical, electrical and control systems for optimized energy performance.

• Sustainability standard: Designed for a LEED Gold rating.

The 500-unit, five-star hotel’s amenities will include an elegant lobby, dining room, pool and spa; modern conference facilities for small and groups, with direct connection to sky terraces and green roof gardens on multiple levels; an 8,000-square-foot grand ballroom; top-of-the-line finishes made with renewable and/or recycled materials; new retail storefronts along Jackson and Franklin; and a grand outdoor plaza featuring landscaped terraces connecting the hotel to Sears Tower.
Link

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Last edited by Urbannizer; Jun 27, 2009 at 12:09 AM.
     
     
  #24  
Old Posted Jun 25, 2009, 7:48 PM
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That proposed hotel has to be one of the skinniest buildings I've ever seen! Overall this project and redevelopment looks facinating!
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  #25  
Old Posted Jun 26, 2009, 1:27 AM
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very interesting
     
     
  #26  
Old Posted Jun 26, 2009, 5:52 AM
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Last edited by Saddle Man; Jul 25, 2009 at 11:23 PM.
     
     
  #27  
Old Posted Jun 26, 2009, 8:44 AM
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That hotel is nice.
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  #28  
Old Posted Jun 26, 2009, 12:50 PM
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I like the building, but does not look too good so close to the Sears Tower.
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  #29  
Old Posted Jun 26, 2009, 12:59 PM
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If the hotel and base get built as depicted in the rendering, then I'd be very, very pleased. However, if it get's VE'd at all, I would have a problem with it.

Last edited by trvlr70; Jun 30, 2009 at 1:37 PM.
     
     
  #30  
Old Posted Jun 26, 2009, 2:02 PM
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we already have an ongoing thread for the sears tower in the buildings and architecture forum.

link: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=153704

this thread can be used for discussing the new hotel proposed for the sears tower site.
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Last edited by Steely Dan; Jun 26, 2009 at 5:30 PM.
     
     
  #31  
Old Posted Jun 26, 2009, 6:04 PM
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I suppose this could be considered one of those exception to the rule cases where a less than 700' project is interesting enough to warrant it's own thread perhaps.

And on a sidenote if the Sears Tower ever went into reconstruction status then it would warrant having a new thread in P&C, and this project can be hacked along with it.
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  #32  
Old Posted Jun 26, 2009, 6:07 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by M II A II R II K View Post
I suppose this could be considered one of those exception to the rule cases where a less than 700' project is interesting enough to warrant it's own thread perhaps.
absolutely. not only is there some very thought provoking architecture in this proposal, but its juxtaposition with the sears tower, one of the icons of the skyscraper world merits even more scrutiny and attention. this proposal is one that will likely be of interest to skyscraper fans everywhere and discussion of it should not be buried in the chicago rundown thread.
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Last edited by Steely Dan; Jun 26, 2009 at 6:48 PM.
     
     
  #33  
Old Posted Jun 26, 2009, 6:09 PM
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^ I wouldn't support an exception, honestly. maybe once it gets funding and/or is under construction. but take all mention of sears out of the thread at least. obviously it's right next to sears
     
     
  #34  
Old Posted Jun 26, 2009, 6:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jstush04 View Post
^ I wouldn't support an exception, honestly. maybe once it gets funding and/or is under construction. but take all mention of sears out of the thread at least. obviously it's right next to sears
Done but Sears Tower Hotel stays as the name title for the Hotel until the Hotel receives a name.
     
     
  #35  
Old Posted Jun 26, 2009, 7:42 PM
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As long as the black color facade stays then I am for it.
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  #36  
Old Posted Jun 27, 2009, 8:20 PM
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I just don't get the hotel next to the Sears tower. Chicago isn't Tokyo... there is room. There are parking lots in the area, even. It's a nice enough looking building but in that location, it looks like the Sears tower growing a wart.
     
     
  #37  
Old Posted Jun 28, 2009, 2:24 AM
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Originally Posted by 10023 View Post
I just don't get the hotel next to the Sears tower. Chicago isn't Tokyo... there is room. There are parking lots in the area, even. It's a nice enough looking building but in that location, it looks like the Sears tower growing a wart.
I get it. It's not a issue of limited space. The hotel is merely a HUGE marketing move.

The Sears Tower is one of the older, Modernist towers on Wacker Drive, probably Chicago's hottest office corridor, but it has lost out on much of the leasing action during the last boom. It is a huge dinosaur of a building that was built for a tremendous company that vacated it soon after completion, leaving a vacuum that has never been filled. It has floorplates larger than any other building in Chicago, and obviously it is also the tallest building in the city, so even the signing of large firms doesn't make much of a dent in the unusually-high vacancy rate.

Look at Willis. Sears is so desperate for tenants that they are even willing to sell naming rights. Willis is only renting 150,000 square ft - just 4% of the building.

There has not been a comprehensive renovation of the property since it opened. Renovations have focused on lobby, retail, and plaza areas, but much of the HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and telecom lines are outdated.

Many businesses also see a move to Sears Tower today as a bad idea. It subsumes their corporate identity into something monolithic, unapproachable, and expressionless. At the same time, it seems too conspicuously insecure - as if the business has something to prove by moving to the city's most famous and tallest building. Ernst & Young, for example, which occupies 387,000 sq. ft in Sears - 10% of the building - is moving out to anchor their own tower, 155 N Wacker. They will use 40% of the building, essentially making it "theirs" in a way that Sears can never be.


Building management is increasingly desperate as their property lags far behind even in the city's hottest office submarket. Hence, they are turning to dramatic measures like LEED Gold certification, a complete revamp of the tenant spaces, and the addition of this hotel, to give the building an appeal beyond its one-dimensional iconic value.
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  #38  
Old Posted Jun 28, 2009, 8:45 AM
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^ ardecila, well said regarding your Sears Tower post. And access to a giant hotel having an indoor connection will appeal to many businesses too.
     
     
  #39  
Old Posted Jun 29, 2009, 12:33 AM
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This is a fascinating idea. A couple of things in the article surprised me since I am not in Chicago and don't follow news there that close:

The Sears Tower is going to be renamed the Willis Tower?

They were considering painting it silver?

They are going to be able to reduce energy consumption by 80 percent?

All in all, very interesting proposal. I hope it goes through. The design is meh and I agree that it doesn't need to be so close to the Sears, but those are small nits for me to be picking at.
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  #40  
Old Posted Jun 29, 2009, 1:35 AM
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I loves it! Chicago is going crazy with their 'green buildings'.

It is too bad that it is crammed into such a small space, tho. It won't have the exposure it would elsewhere in Chicago's skyline because of the overbearing presence of the Sears. Still very attractive, nonetheless.
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