CHICAGO | Aqua | 858 FT / 262 M | 87 FLOORS - Page 177

chrslyp · #**3521** Posted **Jul 25, 2008, 5:37 PM**

^^^ that would be quite different from the hand rails that were installed before, that many of us thought were going to be the final railings.

should be interesting. i look forward to new pics.

ChicagoChicago · #**3522** Posted **Jul 25, 2008, 5:56 PM**

^^^^^^ When were they installed? The bid and subsequent contract (handrails are not being done by EFCO (Window manufacturer) or Bluesky (installer)) excluded as a footnote the "glass handrails at balconies."

jc5680 · #**3523** Posted **Jul 25, 2008, 8:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChicagoChicago

^^^^^^ When were they installed? The bid and subsequent contract (handrails are not being done by EFCO (Window manufacturer) or Bluesky (installer)) excluded as a footnote the "glass handrails at balconies."

They where installed a few months ago. Note earlybuyers pics from May:

Quote:

Originally Posted by EarlyBuyer

5/18/08:

denizen467 · #**3524** Posted **Jul 25, 2008, 11:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChicagoChicago

^^^^^^ When were they installed? The bid and subsequent contract (handrails are not being done by EFCO (Window manufacturer) or Bluesky (installer)) excluded as a footnote the "glass handrails at balconies."

Is it possible this is referring to handrails at the sliding doors or something, as opposed to the handrails at the outer edge of the balconies?

denizen467 · #**3525** Posted **Jul 25, 2008, 11:44 PM**

In other news:

The passageway across Columbus Drive linking the Fairmont Hotel to Aqua is under construction. If you go to Middle Columbus just south of South Water, you can see the steel structure hanging from the underside of Upper Columbus.

It's pretty rare to see one of these being built - for posterity's sake we should definitely add some construction photos of it to this thread, as well as to Emporis.

NYC2ATX · #**3526** Posted **Jul 26, 2008, 9:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by denizen467

In other news:

The passageway across Columbus Drive linking the Fairmont Hotel to Aqua is under construction. If you go to Middle Columbus just south of South Water, you can see the steel structure hanging from the underside of Upper Columbus.

It's pretty rare to see one of these being built - for posterity's sake we should definitely add some construction photos of it to this thread, as well as to Emporis.

Yes please! Now that I'm not in Chicago anymore, I can't hop on the first green line train downtown and go see for myself. Can someone please help reverse my Chicago withdrawal?

Rizzo · #**3527** Posted **Jul 26, 2008, 4:30 PM**

Will it be similar to this?

Beneath Randolph

denizen467 · #**3528** Posted **Jul 26, 2008, 6:02 PM**

^ You make a good point - I hadn't even really thought about the design of the pedway connection, and was just satisfied with the knowledge that the pedway was expanding eastwards.

I suppose it would be a bonus to have something exciting like the BCBS-to-Monroe-Garage pedway pictured above (designed by the BCBS architects), although I also have to concede maybe there wouldn't be much of a loss in having something bland and invisible like the Hyatt / IC3 pedways (since most people just barrel through there at 40mph and don't need the extra distraction of something to look at). At a minimum, it probably wouldn't be glassed-in like BCBS, because pedestrians aren't interested in seeing the dreary streetscape of Middle Columbus (at least there are rays of sunshine in the BCBS case), and because the hotel definitely doesn't want visitors coming away with memories of "wow, we had to go through some creepy underground Batman streetscape to get to the ballroom" etc.

harryc · #**3529** Posted **Jul 27, 2008, 1:25 PM**

.

wrab · #**3530** Posted **Jul 27, 2008, 11:00 PM**

Pano, Sunday 7/27:

wrab · #**3531** Posted **Jul 27, 2008, 11:10 PM**

Non-pano, Sunday 7/27:

Funkie · #**3532** Posted **Jul 27, 2008, 11:10 PM**

this is THE coolest Skyscraper ever!

wrab · #**3533** Posted **Jul 27, 2008, 11:28 PM**

^ The building is ingenious - it accomplishes a lot with very little. Shows the impact a thoughtful, intelligent concept can have when executed by a crackerjack design team.