Great idea. We could even combine our ideas. How about an original glass pyramid, filled with water, lit at night, with one huge, or even multiple, fountains on top. Maybe even some kind of torch. Ok, now we are getting carried away.

Save that for the Olympics :haha:

Yup, I saw it too, and LOVE IT. Also on another note the Lake Shore East shops in front of 340 on the Park (Park Level) have been redesigned, for the better too. Glassy, modern and an escalator will be carved through the structure allowing access to Upper Randolph Street from the park level.

Sounds interesting.

I don't think it needs a crown, but I'd love it if the whole thing were somehow lit at night.
It could look like a big slice of water.
cool

thats a great looking building

It's residential, they're not going to light it.

I'm not quite sure what to think of this. On one hand, it's very ogranic, possibly making Fordham Spire fit in better. On the other, it's not very exciting. It's curvy, and that's about it.

It's also going to be a bitch to model.

i am sort of disappointed too. Gang made mention of breaking with conventional high-rise design to give us something different from every side. What we're getting is a lot of waves masking the rectangle. I really thought she was going to deconstruct this thing down some and then add the "waves".

ah well. still looking forward to the next round of more detailed renderings. I'm sure the building will come to life. I trust she'll/they'll make the right judgements to refine this puppy.

^ it may work better with the balconies then just as a blob... the height speaks to the thin floorplates the balconies will have, if this one has wall to wall/floor to ceiling windows then we should get a nice piece of work.

It's really too bad more of LSE didn't have this interesting look, it is really a form open for experimentation across a few towers. I must say the form factor is great - but then again I love Trump World Tower.

They'd have to turn the fountain off during windy days. I think it would otherwise be "raining" on the leeward side of the building.

That doesnt really mean anything. The Hancock is lit, so is the Heritage, and isnt the crown of One Museum Park supposed to be lit along with a couple other towers? Im only talking about the what appears to be a block on top of the tower. It would the tallest residential over there so the crown/block shouldnt shine in anyones condo. And Im not talking about 311 South Wacker type bright but simply underlight (as in actually under it, not shining lights through it at an angle) the glass block completely or 95% filled with water and just watch how the light interacts with the water and the night sky. It would be a decorative piece as well as a damper system for the building. :) Like I said I think it'd be cool. Its not overdone. Its different. But thats just me. Im just working the whole Aqua thing. Who knows what they'll do so I guess all this is moot but it is fun.

BVictor: What do you mean that the rendering u saw was the same as the model? Was it the same pics we have here, or was it just as unclear as to what the overall specifics of the tower will look like?

is that really going to be the base? I think the building itself looks fine, nothing spectacular or jawdropping but cool. The base is whack though. I hate buildings that have these large bases that basically break up the street walls in an attempt to set the main portion away from any surrounding buildings that might emerge (or exist). From the model, it looks like it'll have a large 2/3 story base (with a green roof?), with the building emerging from it.

I realize there are lots of benefits for the individual condo buyers in guaranteeing they'll always have some space around them. But this reeks of "tower in the park" reduxed in such a way that the park is slightly elevated. It still messes up the larger urban form by fragmenting and diffusing the positive urban space that emerges when buildings are sited to create streetwalls and larger enclosures.

Anywho, just something to look out for.

That's been the general paradigm in all the condo development in Chicago lately....people don't want to drop alot of money with the risk that their view could be entirely obliterated. I'm fine with Tower in the Park as long as said Park isn't ginormous. I live in Sandburg Village, In which one square city block has two 29-story highrises, about 20 townhomes, all situated amongst a public park that the homeowners maintain, which is all places above an underground parking deck. It's dense, pleasant, and all interfaces well with the street. The new Parkview West sounds like it wants to reuse this method, and I say I'm all for it.

wow it looks like is going to look super great!

I agree. I'm surprised how many people are glowing over this model. I was really hoping for something incredible. It's not bad, it just didn't live up to expectation. I wasn't thrilled when Bvictor said the renderings he saw look exactly like the model.

^ and i don't see how anyone could NOT be thrilled by this project. what were you expecting? the architectural equivalent of the second coming of christ? well, this project isn't exactly that, but it is easily the most architecturally interesting skyscraper proposal this city has seen in decades, and that's gotta count for something.

Well, I'm no architecture critic, so one can argue that I may not appreciate subtleties that those of you in the business may see. But I can tell you that, for an average guy who likes skyscrapers, projects like the Legacy, OMP, the Elysian, obviously FS, Trump, WVT, even OMP west are much more interesting.... at least to me. They at least break from the standard box shape. Other than the waves, THIS IS A STANDARD BOX. I think if they would have done something interesting with the top, it would be more interesting.

Again, too soon to say anything. And overall, I still like it. But it's certainly not in the league as the others I mentioned.

^ well, in my humble opinion this proposal is superior to all those other projects, with the possible exception of fordham spire, which might stand on equal footing with this magical tower. don't let the boxy form trick you. boxes are good. boxes are true. boxes are CHICAGO. it's what's done with the box that differentiates the magical from the banal, and this project appears poised to become one of the most elite boxes in the world.

i couldn't be happier with this proposal thus far, and i anxiously await to see more.

The organic form of the facade is a risky choice. A few years after the construction, it might become visually disturbing.
Or not.

^ well, with proper maintenance it should age just fine. look at how glorious marina city still is after all these years (granted, it was getting pretty shabby before the big overhaul clean-up years ago).

^^Wow..... O.K. Well, Steely, yours is amoung the opinions I respect most on this forum, so I'll have to keep an open mind. I would be interested to see if BVictor, Tom, Dan, Shawn, UP, and some of the other long time Chicago forumers agree that this kicks arse on some of the other projects I listed.

^ "kicks arse" might be a little strong, as many of the projects you listed are solid towers, such as trump and the legacy, but i'm simply more pumped for this aqua thing.

keep in mind, i LOVE boxes when they're done well. and i freely admit, without a hint of shame, that the daley center is my favorite chicago building. and i guess the biggest reason i'm fawning over this proposal so much is that i see it as a kind of reincarnation of the spirit of goldberg, one of the most important architectural voices our city has ever been blessed with. it's possible that I'm now reading too much into this project and raising my expectation bar too high, but it's just that i'm very excited by the potential is see in these pics of the rough cardboard model.

i hope we get to see more real soon, as the anticpation may just do me in. ;)

I wasn't thinking of maintenance. I was just afraid that it might be out of style very, very fast.

oh, i suppose that could be true, but i don't really know much about or care for "style". "style", and the way that things seemingly go in and out of it will always be quite a mysterious process to me, and one that i will likely continue to ignore.

i like good and bad. i have little use for "style".

I want to have sex with it!!!!

This is growing on me. I wasn't thrilled initially, but then Steely said "Bertrand Goldberg" and my love sensors went off.

I can see where he's coming with that, but I'd love to see some sort of color rendering. It feels very difficult to picture this as an actual building without more details.

:yes: I agree. That would be look like sparkling water. This building really has some potential. :tup:

Bingo, this project is all about form following function. It continues the Chicago tradition. If this project was in Miami or Dubai, we would get the curtain wall covering all of the curves, just for asethitic looks, because it is seen as 'cool'. Here though the cuves form balcones, likely aligned to sight lines to take in the best views, while the units themselfs are recessed into the organic form because the common desires for unit layouts require it. Most walls in condos are set at orthaganal angles, it is often what buyer want because it makes furniture layouts easy. Therefore, why try to shove that standard form into something organic? The solution in this case is to pull the units back into the building and let the free organic form flow unobsructed along the buildig facade. Here the form makes the most sense, and here it can enjoyed and viewed to its fullest extent. Plus, light and shadows will dance throughout the day on the tall facade of this tower, making it look a little different each day, and even each hour.

Just my :2cents:

Alright, I'm feeling it.

Truthfully, I think those of us with a less enthusiastic initial impression are turned off by the color of the model. Ugly tan, with a contrasting white interuption in the middle, as well as a striking white roof is visually unappealing.

Depending on glass color (as many have already suggested), and how it interfaces with concrete balconies will be important for this one. Also, I presume the roof and interuption in the middle will be something other than tan or white. Would you guys agree?

^ I agree 100% with every word of this above post

^ You might be a bit dissappointed if you try...

well, i wasn't really trying to brow-beat my feelings on this proposal into the rest of you (alright, i was trying a little ;) ), but i'm just so excited for this project. if you honestly don't like it, that's cool, people are free to like and dislike whatever they want. i guess i went on my ramblings here in this thread because people were putting themselves into a so-called "hater" group and i feel there is so MUCH more to this project than what is currently meeting the eye with these tiny, preliminary cardboard model pics.

I just meant the design was the same. I saw an actual rendering of what the building will look like. I think that it's a sweet design. The cluster of highrises in that 3 block radius is almost unimaginable. 1-1,000+: 1-900+: 2-800+; then there's the second tower for LSE on Columbus which will be roughly the same height as Aqua, and the possible future expansion of BCBS with 340 OtP going up now... Whew.....

What would be the address for this? Im now having a hard time picturing where it would be.

And BVic, are both towers going next to each other from what you know? Its just so dense over there that I have no idea where these lots are. Thank you.

Aqua will be situated next to the fire station on columbus and the second tower will be closer to the bcbs plaza.

LOL. I still have no clue. Whats an address fairly close so I can look at an arieal on Google Earth?

Edit:Nevermind I found it. A building that tall should have significant presence and could be seen from the river, right? Because nothing else that tall in LakeshoreEast should be close to Aqua, right? It would be so nice to see it on an architecture river tour. Damn, 2010 cant come fast enough.

The second tower that will stand side by side with Aqua is to be developed by Fifield Realty Co (if I am right on this one). Who is an architect?

2006 is starting off as a marvelous time for us and hopefully remains eternally. I can't believe that 800' is now norm to us. Legacy. Inter-Continental. Mandarin-Oriental. 830 S Mich. 3rd tower taller than OMP. 29-32 S. LaSalle. Aqua and another tower.

http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/8062/site044bp.jpg
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/8407/site028nl.jpg
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/5577/site013lc.jpg

I know, that's going to be quite a sight! A bunch of giant buildings in a 3 block radius.

As far as the design, I am really digging it, except for the color (assuming that is the color).

Architecturally speaking, this building is very refreshing and it'll give the skyline a nice and interesting look in that part of town.

Adam, nice find on the LSE models. You really gotta love 340 OTP.

Is it based on the main entrance on Upper Columbus Drive or at the LSE park?

I am still loving Aqua. It is so one-of-a-kind.

i was expecting exactly what Gang was talking about in her interviews. Something completely unique, new and depending on your angle you're viewing it from, it would take on a completely different form. Something that would be incredibly hard to accomplish in contemporary high-rise design, but something I thought she'd be able to pull out

While I'll judge this at a later date when better renderings are out, there's just no way of telling that this thing is the best thing the city has proposed in decades. I am excited about it as I've been a Gang fan since before the theatre she built out in Rockford.

^ I think Fordham Spire still holds that title in my mind, although this building is certainly #2, with number 3 being far, far, far below both of them

that's true at this point, but i'm just looking into the future a bit and i can say that of all the proposed skyscrapers during my 30 year life span in this town, nothing has excited me as much as what i am seeing so far in this proposal, with the possible exception of fordham spire. my prognostications may not pan out, however.

Amazing. I don't know how anyone can say this. Like I said, I like it. But it's more novel than anything. This is the type of tower that tourists at navy pier will point to, and gawk at. But I assure you, this wont be in the running for the pritzker prize. I guess everyone's entitled to their opinion.

I would say wait, and see what Kamin says about it. But he never likes anything anymore. So I guess that wouldn't be a good measure of its true architectural merit.

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/8407/site028nl.jpg

Sorry for getting off the topic for just a moment, but doesn't the BCBS building look taller in that scale model? Like if they already added the extra floors...

^Not exactly a scale model... the BCBS would be taller than 340 on the Park if it were extended all the way up. They just made it too big.

Thanks Dan!

I fixed the height and colored it blue-green, my guess of its color. Enjoy it and the new animation.
http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/7776/nn11.th.jpg

Animated flyaround of downtown (16MB .avi)