CHICAGO | The Elysian | 686 FT / 209 M | 60 FLOORS | COM

[CGII]

Originally Posted by simcityaustin

^^^ I think that view is to snobby. I'm sure car enthusiasts don't think every car should be supercharged, or that fashionistas think everyone should wear designer, and I don't think architecture buffs should expect every building to be a masterpiece or junk.

That's not what I'm saying at all. Yes, of course there are 'okay' buildings. This is not one of them. This building doesn't need to be outstanding, it just needs to be good. But it's not; it's shit, in fact.

[J_M_Tungsten]

I think this building belongs as part of the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. An attempt at an original work, but a huge American influence on it. As with a painting or sculpture, an architect is the buildings artist, and lately I have been noticing a lot of bad art. But hey, beauty is in the eye of the beholder right? or just the couple million or so people that have to look at it everyday now.

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by CGII

You say that like it's a bad thing.

Dreck like this gets put up to the sound of applause on the Upper East and West Sides of Manhattan every day. The Elysian is an excremental tower and deserves nothing less than scrutiny and scorn. I see replies on here like 'well, I guess it's okay 'cuz it looks luxurious and stuff' and to that I say this kind of half-assed, half-taste econo-tecture is desensitizing us from appreciating what really good architecture can be. Looking at the photo of the base it's so easy to think it's comfortable and luxurious, but when you really consider alternatives, and think of buildings as totally unique opportunities to respond to site and user experience you realize that the crap the developers shoved on your plate is just well groomed dog poop, but you're too lazy to notice because it's well groomed. When we let this crap permeate our society, it grows at an exponential rate, as you are constantly surrounded with less and less inspiring gestures of building until you get to the point that you have lost all notion of taste and now engineers are designing fourth-rate buildings that resemble warp drive roach hotels.

It has already happened in New York. Don't let it happen in Chicago.




It is Chicago. It is 2009. Baron Haussmann batiments are not built with balconies 60 floors tall out of precast concrete, and never were. Let's start designing like it.

Excellent points.

[Matthew]

I agree on the crown, the exterior light fixtures and the window frames. Those in the mid-sized city I post on would complain about these three items, if this was under construction on Fourth Street. I could accept the window frames as they are, but I think it would look good, if the crown was removed and if someone removed the cheap suburban hardware superstore light fixtures on the exterior. In my opinion, those light fixtures downgrade the luxury feel of the building. They also look out-of-place on a tall building. Again, the exterior light fixtures are suburban (single-family home design) in appearance. Maybe someone can take the time to remove the crown in a photo editor? I do think it would improve the appearance of the building to remove it and those light fixtures.

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

Originally Posted by CGII

It is Chicago. It is 2009. Baron Haussmann batiments are not built with balconies 60 floors tall out of precast concrete, and never were. Let's start designing like it.

[george]

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ That reminds me that one of the worst things about this building is that, from ground level, it doesn't soar at all. It could be 10 stories or it could be 100, but either way it looks stumpy from the base.

[Busy Bee]

It is Chicago. It is 2009. Baron Haussmann batiments are not built with balconies 60 floors tall out of precast concrete, and never were. Let's start designing like it.

What more needs to be said?

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

What more needs to be said?

If none of the people buying units in "Elysian" even know who Haussmann was, what's the point? The high design culture in this country is very small (in percentage terms at least) and catering to it is, unfortunately for the cityscape, a niche market.

[jcchii]

at the end of the day it's a reasonably tall filler building that can be overlooked with ease

not to say we want more of them

[MayDay]

Can't say I really care for the design but here are some shots I took over the weekend (also in my threads from City Photos):

[photoLith]

Whats that building going up next to the elysian?

[Tom In Chicago]

^10 East Delaware

[YSL]

Hideous.

[killaviews]

Is the hotel open yet? What about the restaurants and Marc Jacobs?

[colemonkee]

I think 10 East Delaware will end up being the grossest offender on that block. The Elysian is no princess, but she won't be cast in place painted concrete with little to no relief. At least the Elysian's general massing and setbacks are appealing, even if the design execution leaves a lot to be desired.

EDIT: shit, I just realized I hit 4,000 posts. Time to go out and try and convince myself I still have a life.

[uaarkson]

4000 isn't that much considering your register date, it's less than 1 post per 2 days

[Busy Bee]

^Oh snap! Figgggghhhhhhttttttttt!!!!

OK can we be normal non-lame adults again please?

[the urban politician]

I saw Elysian in person, walked around, took a good look, the other day.

Looks fine to me.

But then I don't have a trained eye. I guess ignorance is bliss...

[Trantor]

gee, thats quite an horrible building. Neo classical...

Originally Posted by detroitismylove

This is a gorgeous design. Its so graceful and elegant. A real gem, almost Parisian looking.

if it was 7 floors tall. Find me a skyscraper in Paris that looks as horrible as this one.

Its TACKY and LAME, in trying to look like a 30s skyscraper. (and it failed btw, like every other neoclassical around)