CHICAGO | 300 North LaSalle | 785 FT / 239 M | 60 FLOORS

[harryc]

Originally Posted by cbotnyse

I still cant believe the developer build a wall on the riverwalk. What were they possibly thinking? I thought that was against the law?

Now its going to cost tax dollars to eventually build around it. Its so irritating.

There is a passage between 300 N LaSalle and the Chicago School next door. The Chicago School has blocked off their riverside area and it is not accessable by the public, there may have been stairs from Wells at one time, there are none now. Removing the wall - other than reducing the beigeness - would allow a pedestrian path from lower Carol to LaSalle, currently pedestrians must walk up the LaSalle ramps, or the exit by Dearborn a few blocks to the east.

in between




entrance to passage is just behind the black car on the right.


Looking towards Wells


Note bars over lowest river side level, doesn't look as if it is used.

[george]

^ Good reporting. ^

[Taft]

Originally Posted by harryc

There is a passage between 300 N LaSalle and the Chicago School next door. The Chicago School has blocked off their riverside area and it is not accessable by the public, there may have been stairs from Wells at one time, there are none now. Removing the wall - other than reducing the beigeness - would allow a pedestrian path from lower Carol to LaSalle, currently pedestrians must walk up the LaSalle ramps, or the exit by Dearborn a few blocks to the east.

Thanks harry. Your pictures do a much better job of explaining the situation than my words ever could.

[jc5680]

3.19

[woodrow]

Originally Posted by denizen467

George that is so good it's scary.

Seriously though, send that on to Hines or Pickard (or Kamin) and you could get famous, or at least get taken out to dinner.

And George, or someone, did send it to Kamin and it is on -

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/

[wrab]

3/20:

[spyguy]

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/...but-is-a-boon-to-the-cityscape.html#more

New tower comes up short on the skyline, but is a boon to the cityscape
Blair Kamin
March 20, 2009

Because the new 60-story office building called 300 North LaSalle is very glassy and doesn’t flaunt a wild, attention-getting shape, many passersby are likely to dismiss it as just another glass box. That would be dead wrong. While this riverfront skyscraper has significant shortcomings, it does enough things well to come off as a positive addition to the cityscape.

[bnk]

Originally Posted by george

^Here you go, Harry. Ask and you shall receive^

Click the link

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/...pasted-on-its-front-.html?obref=outbrain


Originally posted: March 20, 2009

Today's eye candy: The new 300 North LaSalle meets an old sign of the times

...



Well, the old parking garage is gone, replaced by the 60-story 300 North LaSalle office building designed by New Haven, Conn. architects Pickard Chilton. But the garage's "parking" sign lives on in this photomontage emailed to me by reader Thomas Tomek of Atomek Design Ltd.

That's the real 300 North LaSalle with the sign playfully pasted onto it.

I'll be posting my review of 300 North LaSalle later today. Meanwhile, thanks, Tom, for this morning's dose of eye candy.

For readers who don't recall the garage, here's a picture of it (below) in the midst of demolition.

.

[harryc]

Some clarification, there is no ready made continuous upper level walk like the sidewalk on the south bank (Wacker). The buildings front the river and the intrepid pedestrian must weave in and out amoung the bridge ends and skirt along plazas, remarkably this is all open, up to the Chicago School, the building just W of 300 N LaSalle. The upper level deck has no access to Wabash, nor does the mid level, the lower level is closed off. To the west is the plaza for the Merchandise Mart which is a taxi way, but walkable.


To the East the old traffic court has a walkway along the river, and a lower level used by the water taxis.


around a bridge end is the ABA plaza




past the westin, you can walk along the river again at Marina Towers and the IBM plaza, Trump and Tribune will take you a building away.

Historically the old path to the North of the parking garage (now 300) and Helen Curtis (now Chicago School) put you right into the long mall of the Merchandise mart. This path is open once again.

[george]

Originally Posted by bnk

Click the link



.

Sent this to Blair Kamin, not knowing if it would be of interest. He responded & asked if I'd mind if he used it for eye candy. I gave credit to harryc from skyscraperpage for the original photo & myself for the photoshopped "parking". Obviously, Blair used my email signature to give credit. Oopps, apologize harry, considering it was your photo & concept. You deserve the credit.

[ChiPsy]

HarryC: "there is no ready made continuous upper level walk like the sidewalk on the south bank (Wacker). The buildings front the river and the intrepid pedestrian must weave in and out amoung the bridge ends and skirt along plazas, remarkably this is all open, up to the Chicago School, the building just W of 300 N LaSalle. The upper level deck has no access to Wabash, nor does the mid level, the lower level is closed off. To the west is the plaza for the Merchandise Mart which is a taxi way, but walkable."

Great analysis and photos, Harry! Is one small correction that you meant Wells rather than Wabash when you mention the Helene Curtis/Chicago School building?

I never tried it, but now I will: So you can walk the North bank of the river, albeit effortfully, from W of LaSalle to Lake Michigan??

[jc5680]

3.25

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by ChiPsy

I never tried it, but now I will: So you can walk the North bank of the river, albeit effortfully, from W of LaSalle to Lake Michigan??

more or less, yes, with the exception of trump's construction site and the wrigley building, but you can skirt around those properties just to the north. and of course river east's river walk currently dead-ends at the dormant chicago spire site, shy of the actual lake.

[george]

Originally Posted by jc5680

3.25

Nice shot, jc5680. That's a view!

[harryc]

Originally Posted by ChiPsy

HarryC: "there is no ready made continuous upper level walk like the sidewalk on the south bank (Wacker). The buildings front the river and the intrepid pedestrian must weave in and out amoung the bridge ends and skirt along plazas, remarkably this is all open, up to the Chicago School, the building just W of 300 N LaSalle. The upper level deck has no access to Wabash, nor does the mid level, the lower level is closed off. To the west is the plaza for the Merchandise Mart which is a taxi way, but walkable."

Great analysis and photos, Harry! Is one small correction that you meant Wells rather than Wabash when you mention the Helene Curtis/Chicago School building?

I never tried it, but now I will: So you can walk the North bank of the river, albeit effortfully, from W of LaSalle to Lake Michigan??

Yes Wells, not Wabash.

[SolarWind]

March 25, 2009

[trvlr70]

Solarwind, that last photo looks just like an artist's rendering!

[spyguy]

^Wow. That's amazing.

[george]

^Stunning SolarWind^ It's rare to get that kind of illumination at the base.

[jc5680]

10 min ago