CHICAGO | Boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v5 - Page 264

a chicago bearcat · #**5261** Posted **Jan 11, 2008, 11:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Northwest

Well it pushes the skyline west of the Kennedy. But the architecture does not please me, it just looks cheap to me. Im looking forward to the day when this does not stick out, and becomes simple infill for other, better towers.

It is a masterpiece for what it did when it did.
An innovative twist on the painted concrete that was plagueing chicago

I feel it is as much a statement of defiance to the status quo at the the turn of the century in chicago, as much as it is a beautiful use of materials usually used it crappy shitty designs in river north

painted concrete is not a automatic bad, although I do prefer the unpainted contemporaine by Ralph Johnson (the architect of Skybridge)

it's just when painted concrete is used instead of using the material it is impersonating, that's when most buildings in the last 10 years have died in my mind. Retrospective architecture is beautiful, when well detailed, and there are only a few rare examples of that in this current boom

BVictor1 · #**5262** Posted **Jan 12, 2008, 12:42 AM**

This is the image on the front page for Millennium Park Plaza

These have just come into my posssession. The resolution is a bit better. If these have been posted before, sorry.

spyguy · #**5263** Posted **Jan 12, 2008, 1:09 AM**

Nice job. The glass railing is much nicer.

Chi_Coruscant · #**5264** Posted **Jan 12, 2008, 1:27 AM**

Thanks for bringing up on Millenium Park Plaza, BVic. I passed by the LaStrada restaurant site today and saw it was closed officially on 1/5/08. J. Randolph will be moved from that same site to the basement of Smurfitt Stone Building across Michigan Ave. Obviously, this project is happening.

honte · #**5265** Posted **Jan 12, 2008, 2:08 AM**

I hope the glass is really that color. Too much blue and green these days.

I also am glad the "fang columns" on Randolph street have been removed, replaced by cantilevered slabs. Last, the top appears nicely refined, but I miss seeing that wintergarden up there from the park. It was one of this tower's cooler features.

harryc · #**5266** Posted **Jan 12, 2008, 2:57 AM**

From above [ full set http://picasaweb.google.com/harry.r.carmichael/155NWackerHeli ]

Caisson waiting for foundation beam ( technical term ? )

Measurement by committee.

Sidewalk Joe at work

"now take 2 steps back"

Shoring up the neighbor ?

Working on the core

Crane

Self raising or climbing form.

harryc · #**5267** Posted **Jan 12, 2008, 3:04 AM**

From above [ full set http://picasaweb.google.com/harry.r.carmichael/225_W_VanBurenHeli ]

One core

other core

Solid foundation

harryc · #**5268** Posted **Jan 12, 2008, 3:12 AM**

Site Prep
Old building gone

Old limestone block foundation for remaining building ( 201 W Wash ? )

harryc · #**5269** Posted **Jan 12, 2008, 3:23 AM**

Jan 7 - getting ready for the second floor - once it is in the rakers will be cut out.

Jan 9 - top of the climbing form

Jan 10 - pouring and debubbling ( the backpack powers a big vibrator that helps the cement settle in fully and gets out the air bubbles )

Jan 11 - overview

Jan 11 - panoramic

pip · #**5270** Posted **Jan 12, 2008, 3:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BVictor1

This is the image on the front page for Millennium Park Plaza

These have just come into my posssession. The resolution is a bit better. If these have been posted before, sorry.

Oh wow nice. But I can't picture what is there now.

harryc · #**5271** Posted **Jan 12, 2008, 5:22 AM**

jc5680 · #**5272** Posted **Jan 12, 2008, 5:25 AM**

Why the orange caps on the rebar? Is it just some sort of safety precaution?

harryc · #**5273** Posted **Jan 12, 2008, 5:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jc5680

Why the orange caps on the rebar? Is it just some sort of safety precaution?

Yes - every 10 yrs or so some guy falls and is impaled, I believe the last one survived.

honte · #**5274** Posted **Jan 12, 2008, 9:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bnk

http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/080110feathers.asp

Form Follows Feathers: Bird-Friendly Architecture

January 10, 2008
By Ted Smalley Bowen

Santiago Calatrava’s 2,000-foot-tall Chicago Spire is a lofty experiment in bird-safe design. The residential skyscraper is rising in the midst of a large year-round bird population and in the path of a major migratory flyway on the shores of Lake Michigan, but its glass is designed to be visible to birds, which should help prevent fatal collisions.

...

This article that bnk kindly posted in the Chicago Spire thread also has some good plugs for Studio Gang and Solstice. Best news is a projected 2010 completion for Solstice.

Can't wait!

Gang is really gaining some traction. I am excited to see what becomes of her great little firm - and what they can do when they start getting some big dollar budgets (eg in $/sf).

Ch.G, Ch.G · #**5275** Posted **Jan 12, 2008, 10:14 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by honte

This article that bnk kindly posted in the Chicago Spire thread also has some good plugs for Studio Gang and Solstice. Best news is a projected 2010 completion for Solstice.

Can't wait!

Gang is really gaining some traction. I am excited to see what becomes of her great little firm - and what they can do when they start getting some big dollar budgets (eg in $/sf).

Don't forget, Studio Gang is also designing that new tower for Columbia College.

BVictor1 · #**5276** Posted **Jan 12, 2008, 1:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pip

Oh wow nice. But I can't picture what is there now.

The shitty looking Doral

bnk · #**5277** Posted **Jan 12, 2008, 2:17 PM**

Really good batch there harryc. Keep up with the close ups too like you have done previously.

Just one example.

by harryc

I esp love if they have written words and or numbers on these close ups.

aaron38 · #**5278** Posted **Jan 12, 2008, 2:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by honte

I also am glad the "fang columns" on Randolph street have been removed, replaced by cantilevered slabs. Last, the top appears nicely refined, but I miss seeing that wintergarden up there from the park. It was one of this tower's cooler features.

I'm glad the front columns are gone too. The base looks much better.
But are we sure the wintergarden is gone? It looks like there's plenty of room in that cagelike crown for plantings. It even looks like a lot of plants could even be trellased up the sides.

And nice loop tour Harry.

honte · #**5279** Posted **Jan 12, 2008, 5:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaron38

But are we sure the wintergarden is gone? It looks like there's plenty of room in that cagelike crown for plantings. It even looks like a lot of plants could even be trellased up the sides.

Well, the idea was that it was an enclosed kind of greenhouse that masked the mechanicals and was lit at night. The architects explained that it was a way of making the mechanical area useful year round, and beautiful at the same time without doing anything purely decorative.

It appears that this feature has been reduced in favor of a large outdoor area. From the render, the inside wintergarden seems like it would occupy the wedge-shaped area behind the open terrace. I don't think it's gone entirely; I just think you won't see it as prominently.

Sir Isaac Newton · #**5280** Posted **Jan 12, 2008, 6:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ch.G, Ch.G

Don't forget, Studio Gang is also designing that new tower for Columbia College.

Where exactly will the tower be? Are there any renderings for it, yet?