[Tom Servo]

bertrand goldberg

astor tower
residential building_chicago_1961

Astor Tower was the predecessor in structural theory to Marina Towers. Like the Marina Towers, Astor Tower is organized around a central core, which housed the elevators, stairs and utilities, thus allowing for the bulk of the floor plate to be used for living space. Poured in place over a three-week period, the core was carried much of the weight of the building and resisted 90% of the wind stress experienced in its location close to Lake Michigan. All twenty-four floors were cantilevered off the core. The floor plates were supported on their exterior edges by projected concrete columns. Goldberg exposed the core at the base of the building and again at top, highlighting its important structural role by making it a central feature of his design. Because the residential stories do not begin until the fifth story, the exposed core gives the impression of an architectural peep-show, the building lifting its exterior wall to expose its structure beneath.

Perhaps the most unusual feature of the building was the complex exterior louver system designed by Goldberg to allow light control, weather protection, and easier window washing. In addition to their functional capacities, they also create what Goldberg described as "a happening." As he wrote in 1965, "the changing pattern of light and dark on a haphazard basis regulated by the tenant creates a constantly changing elevation. Astor Towers appears to be a slightly different building each time one looks at it." Sadly, the Louver system was removed in 1996 during a renovation project.

Initially conceived of as a round building, that plan was discarded because, according to Goldberg, the nineteenth century Gold Coast neighborhood surrounding the site of the future tower was a rectilinear environment and "I felt that it would be uncivilized to insert a cylinder in a community of boxes." The three hundred foot tall structure originally functioned as a hotel with a French theme. It featured ninety-six dwelling-units and one restaurant, a replica of the famous French restaurant Maxim's tucked in the basement. A promotional brochure declared, "here an international clientele is offered the intimate atmosphere and individual attention of a great residence. Privacy and perfection of service, hallmarks of the elite club are the signature of this Gold Coast rendezvous for the chic and celebrated."