CHICAGO | Boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v5

[Rocket1]

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

No I have to agree with the other guys Adrian, I think 55w Wacker is a great building, especially in how it adds to the texture of the Wacker Streetwall, that's probably the best thing about 55, adding texture...

What does "adding texture" refer to in architecture-speak?

Filling in a vacant lot with something a bit different?

[ldupree]

Great Pictures. Have you noticed from the South that the building looks like a PC memory module?

[Saber925]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

I would love to see the Renaissance Hotel at State and Wacker imploded. It's an abomination to design and it toally fucks up the Wacker Drive streetwall.

I couldn't agree more.

[Sir Isaac Newton]

I called the sales offices of some proposed high-rises in the city, this afternoon, to see if I could find out their estimated groundbreaking dates. This is what I found: (keep in mind that this is what the salespeople told me, so take it at face value...)

Avalon (21st and Indiana) - apparently they are already gutting out the lofts in the low-rise portion of the development, and these lofts will begin deliveries in January, 2008. The salesperson did not know when groundbreaking would begin on the highrise portion.

Azure Tower - they didn't give me a groundbreaking date for this one either, but they did say that they will be working on the rehabbed condos in the Courthouse next door in the near future, and would do this first, before working on the Azure tower.

X/O - the salesperson estimated a groundbreaking of either late this year or early 2008. They said that sales on the North tower were a little over 60% sold, and a little over 30% for the South Tower.

SoNo - supposedly groundbreaking will begin in 2 weeks! (although their definition of "groundbreaking" could be different than ours in that they may just be starting site-prep then, and not actually drilling caissons).

1349 South Wabash - the salesperson said that groundbreaking would begin in September of this year.

R+D659 - both the website and the salesperson have reported that "construction has begun". The website shows pictures of construction work going on at the site, but it doesn't look like caissons have been drilled yet: http://www.rd659.com/

565 Quincy - the salesperson told me that they have already started gutting out the existing 7 story building; and that the crane should go up for the additional floors in a few months.

Park Kingsbury - the Grand Opening will be on July 24, in less than a week from now.

[Busy Bee]

Yeah the Renaissance Hotel is really unfortunate. built right before the boom, it totally squanders an amazing site that could have easily been 3 times the size this building was built out as. Maybe one of these days it'll bite the dust.

[Nowhereman1280]

Originally Posted by Rocket1

What does "adding texture" refer to in architecture-speak?

Filling in a vacant lot with something a bit different?

Basically, but think of it from a more aesthetic viewpoint... Instead of it just adding something different, it adds a unique shape... Think of a painting of a field or something, if you were just to add another part to the picture, say a tiger, it would make it more interesting (which 55 definately does), but it wouldn't add texture per se. Now imagine, instead of adding a tiger, you just added heavier rough brush strokes to the grass and maybe some heavy clumps of leaves... That is adding texture, it is a different dimension than simpily looking different... 55 is texture because its so heavily sculpted, its not just another glass wall, its a jagged cheese grater looking thingy with deep grooves in it... that adds texture... It contrasts so well with all the shiny smooth facades that dominate most modern architecture in the area and adds just as much to the river streetwall as say 333 wacker's perfectly smooth, rounded facade does...

[brian_b]

Originally Posted by Sir Isaac Newton

R+D659 - both the website and the salesperson have reported that "construction has begun". The website shows pictures of construction work going on at the site, but it doesn't look like caissons have been drilled yet: http://www.rd659.com/

Those photos are outdated. There has been a caisson drill on site for at least two days. I don't know if they've started drilling, but they have liners and drill bits on site. Someone might want to stop by during the day to find out.

[brian_b]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

You will notice that the city removed all the improvements in Pritzker Park four years ago, and never built the replacement. Nor have they ever given the "park" to the Chicago Park District.

I hope this means that they understand that indulging Cindy Pritzker's fervor for tearing down adult bookstores next to "her" library is not the best method for determining where downtown parks and plazas should go, and that they are open to letting John Marshall or someone else restore the urban fabric along that part of State Street.

Which is better, adult bookstores or a "park" where the only visitors are homeless people sleeping on pieces of cardboard and dogs going to the bathroom? On the bright side, the homeless people don't need to walk very far to check their email.

[brian_b]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

The parcel occupies the majority of the block bounded by Halsted, Madison, Green and Monroe streets, Whittington says. An unoccupied building, which was formerly occupied by MB Financial, was not included in the sale. MB Financial had owned the building but not the land it was on, Whittington says. MB sold the property because it was “surplus real estate,” he says. “Clearly, the area is experiencing a lot of growth and it has tremendous redevelopment value.” The parcel is located on three “major thoroughfares” and the area has “great traffic flow” and visibility, Whittington says.
Terrapin is close to signing the anchor tenant, which will be a high-end grocery store that will lease more than 60,000 sf on the second floor, Ezgur tells GlobeSt.com. He expects to store to be “really well received” by the community. Restaurants and “great street life” are expected to lease the ground level, he says.

First, this is great news. That building at the corner of Halsted and Madison looks great; it would be a shame to tear it down.

Second, the near side of the West Loop is getting spoiled! A new Jewel, the Skybridge Dominick's, and now a "high-end" grocery store!

[honte]

^ The Horatio Wilson bank is awesome, and the interiors are perhaps even better than the outside. A lot of people have been keeping their eyes on that one; let's hope this process indicates that they appreciate the building and do not want it torn down either.

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

Basically, but think of it from a more aesthetic viewpoint... Instead of it just adding something different, it adds a unique shape... Think of a painting of a field or something, if you were just to add another part to the picture, say a tiger, it would make it more interesting (which 55 definately does), but it wouldn't add texture per se. Now imagine, instead of adding a tiger, you just added heavier rough brush strokes to the grass and maybe some heavy clumps of leaves... That is adding texture, it is a different dimension than simpily looking different... 55 is texture because its so heavily sculpted, its not just another glass wall, its a jagged cheese grater looking thingy with deep grooves in it... that adds texture... It contrasts so well with all the shiny smooth facades that dominate most modern architecture in the area and adds just as much to the river streetwall as say 333 wacker's perfectly smooth, rounded facade does...

Yeah - and don't forget the texture of having different eras and ideas represented in close proximity.

[Sir Isaac Newton]

Originally Posted by brian_b

Those photos are outdated. There has been a caisson drill on site for at least two days. I don't know if they've started drilling, but they have liners and drill bits on site. Someone might want to stop by during the day to find out.

I work just a few blocks away....I can try to check it out tomorrow, on my lunch break.

[Rocket1]

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

Basically, but think of it from a more aesthetic viewpoint... Instead of it just adding something different, it adds a unique shape... Think of a painting of a field or something, if you were just to add another part to the picture, say a tiger, it would make it more interesting (which 55 definately does), but it wouldn't add texture per se. Now imagine, instead of adding a tiger, you just added heavier rough brush strokes to the grass and maybe some heavy clumps of leaves... That is adding texture, it is a different dimension than simpily looking different... 55 is texture because its so heavily sculpted, its not just another glass wall, its a jagged cheese grater looking thingy with deep grooves in it... that adds texture... It contrasts so well with all the shiny smooth facades that dominate most modern architecture in the area and adds just as much to the river streetwall as say 333 wacker's perfectly smooth, rounded facade does...

I certainly agree that one thing that makes a trip along the Chicago River so great for an architecture buff is the diversity of styles and sizes of the buildings.

And that's one thing that peeves me a bit about some of our height-obsessed forumers -- I'd much rather see a beautiful 300' building go up, than another 700' concrete, run-of-the-mill condo tower.

[Nowhereman1280]

Originally Posted by Rocket1

And that's one thing that peeves me a bit about some of our height-obsessed forumers -- I'd much rather see a beautiful 300' building go up, than another 700' concrete, run-of-the-mill condo tower.

Well I agree with this in regards to certain forumers, but I think as a whole, especially within the Chicago community on this forum, most people would agree with your statement... I think I may sound as if everyone is obsessed with height because we all see a good design and say "yea! lets make it 1000'!!!" Which can't hurt in most circumstances...

[Alliance]

Originally Posted by Rocket1

I certainly agree that one thing that makes a trip along the Chicago River so great for an architecture buff is the diversity of styles and sizes of the buildings.

And that's one thing that peeves me a bit about some of our height-obsessed forumers -- I'd much rather see a beautiful 300' building go up, than another 700' concrete, run-of-the-mill condo tower.

Read my sig. Of course...nothing is better than the combo of design and height.

[Dale]

Well, this is SKYSCRAPERpage.com

[DePaul Bunyan]

I think 55. West Wacker blows. It would look better taller and with setbacks. I would love the look if the twin vertical concrete elements started off further apart and grew closer with each setback. It would be like a brutalist Transamerica/JHC bastard child. Right now it's an abortion.

[hoju]

There is an article in the Hyde park herald about NIMBY opposition to the highrise at 53rd and Kenwood. There is also an article about hyde parkers not wanting the olympics in jackson park. What a sense of entitlement that these people have. One guy says that a high-rise would "ruin the aesthetics of the area." What the hell is so objectionable about a tall building built in the city that invented skyscrapers. The olympics article has a person saying, "I like the parks the way they are...Why dont they just do a survey of the people living here?" Do these people not understand that international events and smart planning benefit the entire city as a whole, and that their every fucking selfish whim cannot be catered to by a city government that is responsible for 3 million people. Man, we need to form a NIMBY extermination squad and rid ourselves of this foolishness.

I dont know how to post the image, so here is the link to the articles:
http://www.hpherald.com/

[dvidler]

That park needs to go if they choose to do nothing with it. It is a bum haven. I felt they would sell it off for academic use. Primarily for student living. Who knows, there could be more than just a academic use for it. Its a big plot of land

[QUOTE=honte;2958225]This could result in a small new tower on Plymouth... Keep your eyes peeled.

If I am reading this correctly, they are considering a facadectomy of the existing building? It's a beautiful facade, so at the least I would expect them to keep that portion.

Also interesting, the NW corner mentioned in the article is part of that strange city "park" that was created when the library was built. I doubt they mean the physical corner, as it seems unlikely the city would give that over to a private concern. It's more likely they are referring to the parking garage, also mentioned in the article, which is slightly north of the corn

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by brian_b

Those photos are outdated. There has been a caisson drill on site for at least two days. I don't know if they've started drilling, but they have liners and drill bits on site. Someone might want to stop by during the day to find out.

RD659 is U/C as of today, it appears. Revcon is drilling on site, with plenty of caisson tubes and rebar lying around.

[Tom Servo]

|||||

∑©