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

[Nowhereman1280]

Originally Posted by Chi649

Well consider this picture and tell me that Elysian won't basically blend in to the point of irrelevance.

From spyguy

90% of those buildings that would make it blend in are in River north, not Gold Coast. in the Gold Coast it is within 3 blocks of several new buildings that I would rate very good or better in the modern category, 50 E. Chestnut, Sofitel, and 30 E. Oak (think that's the address, that curved concrete and glass one). I am not trying to excuse LaGrange, I'm just saying that this isn't really being built in a design-challenged area, Gold coast can take a crappy po-mo or two without becoming River North. Hell, if we got a lagrange like this for every three 50 E. Chestnut, 30 W. Oak, and Sofitel accross the whole city I would be thrilled, 1 bad one in every three good ones, sounds good to me!

[Alliance]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

But you see, this is the problem. Anyone with eyes will know that it hasn't been there for 60 years. Lagrange is scared of modern, because he himself doesn't know how to do it. Classical my ass. If limestone was the facade material, people here would be singing a different tune, but we all know it's not a true piece of classical architecture.

Absolutely.

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

90% of those buildings that would make it blend in are in River north, not Gold Coast. in the Gold Coast it is within 3 blocks of several new buildings that I would rate very good or better in the modern category, 50 E. Chestnut, Sofitel, and 30 E. Oak (think that's the address, that curved concrete and glass one). I am not trying to excuse LaGrange, I'm just saying that this isn't really being built in a design-challenged area, Gold coast can take a crappy po-mo or two without becoming River North. Hell, if we got a lagrange like this for every three 50 E. Chestnut, 30 W. Oak, and Sofitel accross the whole city I would be thrilled, 1 bad one in every three good ones, sounds good to me!

Sofitel is awesome, but the other two? meh. Still not worth a LaGrange. If this was the south Loop, i wouldnt' care so much, because it adds to the variety. Here, its simply rehash.

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

Originally Posted by Alliance

Lucien LaGrange. Cutting edge architecture until 1836.

Lets look at towers like Nouvel's Moma tower and then point and laugh at Chicago claiming it has architecture being built.

1836? Don't flatter him. This is straight-up 1980s only vaguely trying to be 1836. You can't slap a mansard roof on a building and call it Second Empire. The proportions are ungainly, there's nothing dynamic or baroque about the façade and the balconies are poorly, poorly integrated.

Worst of all, once it's complete, any passerby will be able to tell you that's not stone-cladding but striated concrete. Stone has presence: it's textured and gives the impression of mass, which is essential to the Second Empire style. Smooth concrete is membranous. When it pretends to be stone, it looks schlocky. And, given Lucien LaGrange PoMo work thus far, we should expect nothing less.

Now, I'm neither a fan of Philip Johnson nor Postmodernism, but, if you're going to do it, do it right:

[Untitled]

Originally Posted by Ch.G, Ch.G

1836? Don't flatter him. This is straight-up 1980s only vaguely trying to be 1836. You can't slap a mansard roof on a building and call it Second Empire. The proportions are ungainly, there's nothing dynamic or baroque about the façade and the balconies are poorly, poorly integrated.

Worst of all, once it's complete, any passerby will be able to tell you that's not stone-cladding but striated concrete. Stone has presence: it's textured and gives the impression of mass, which is essential to the Second Empire style. Smooth concrete is membranous. When it pretends to be stone, it looks schlocky. And, given Lucien LaGrange PoMo work thus far, we should expect nothing less.

A lucid critique with specific analysis. I love it.

We should have a thread where we're allowed to critique anything in this fashion, since certain projects have rabid fans who won't tolerate anything negative ... and I can understand why, since I don't really want to hear people bashing projects I love. But in the critique thread it'd come with a forewarning, and thus people wouldn't have to spend time defending their favorites in the project threads.

[Alliance]

Originally Posted by Ch.G, Ch.G

Worst of all, once it's complete, any passerby will be able to tell you that's not stone-cladding but striated concrete. Stone has presence: it's textured and gives the impression of mass, which is essential to the Second Empire style. Smooth concrete is membranous. When it pretends to be stone, it looks schlocky. And, given Lucien LaGrange PoMo work thus far, we should expect nothing less.

My running buddy today pointed that he didn't think some "brick" on a building really was brick and since I know a lor about architecture, he asked me what it was. It was fo course, painted precast, but yes, its exceedingly noticable, even to people who know nothing about it.

[aaron38]

They were working on the building today. Maybe they're trying to pick up the pace?

[Northwest]

Originally Posted by Ch.G, Ch.G

Now, I'm neither a fan of Philip Johnson nor Postmodernism, but, if you're going to do it, do it right:

Nice example. I love this building. This is one that was executed to perfection.

[samoen313]

Originally Posted by Ch.G, Ch.G

1836? Don't flatter him. This is straight-up 1980s only vaguely trying to be 1836. You can't slap a mansard roof on a building and call it Second Empire. The proportions are ungainly, there's nothing dynamic or baroque about the façade and the balconies are poorly, poorly integrated.

Worst of all, once it's complete, any passerby will be able to tell you that's not stone-cladding but striated concrete. Stone has presence: it's textured and gives the impression of mass, which is essential to the Second Empire style. Smooth concrete is membranous. When it pretends to be stone, it looks schlocky. And, given Lucien LaGrange PoMo work thus far, we should expect nothing less.

ah, how you've captured my sentiments of this building precisely. kudos on the eloquence.

[Chi649]

today

[Chi649]

today

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

Originally Posted by Northwest

Nice example. I love this building. This is one that was executed to perfection.

Yeah, it really proves "good Postmodernism" isn't an oxymoron.

Originally Posted by samoen313

ah, how you've captured my sentiments of this building precisely. kudos on the eloquence.

Thanks. I've spent a lot of time focusing my antipathy for this abomination.

[SolarWind]

Originally Posted by Chi649

today

Great shot, Chi649! I really like this one. I see that you also captured The Clare at Water Tower.

[Chi649]

^^ You're too kind SolarWind, thank you

[Fabb]

Originally Posted by Ch.G, Ch.G

1836? Don't flatter him. This is straight-up 1980s only vaguely trying to be 1836. You can't slap a mansard roof on a building and call it Second Empire. The proportions are ungainly, there's nothing dynamic or baroque about the façade and the balconies are poorly, poorly integrated.

Worst of all, once it's complete, any passerby will be able to tell you that's not stone-cladding but striated concrete. Stone has presence: it's textured and gives the impression of mass, which is essential to the Second Empire style. Smooth concrete is membranous. When it pretends to be stone, it looks schlocky.

^I agree.
Only Second Empire started in 1851. 1836 was Louis-Philippe.
In any case, reverting to pastiche is mostly a lost opportunity. It's boring after a few years or less, and you never get the real thing anyway.

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

Originally Posted by Fabb

^I agree.
Only Second Empire started in 1851. 1836 was Louis-Philippe.
In any case, reverting to pastiche is mostly a lost opportunity. It's boring after a few years or less, and you never get the real thing anyway.

Are you Lucien's conscience?!

[Rocket1]

Posted by Cbautz in the boomtown thread:

Originally Posted by Cbautz

From Today, Saturday, December 8

Elysian

[Knightwing]

Why is this taking so long? What, are they pouring a floor a quarter?

[Dr. Taco]

because. construction is slow with every building and every human has ADD

[Ecker]

^^ Haven't you seen the marketing materials for this building?

"Spectacular Views" . . . "Unparalleled Quality" . . . "Every Floor a Transfer Floor!"

[honte]

In keeping with the building's purported 1890s style, they are constructing it on a very tight schedule - in exact accordance with the revelations and innovations that allowed the birth of skyscrapers.