CHICAGO | Highrise Projects & Construction

[LouisVanDerWright]

I am imagining a cross of the U of C dorms and this:


archpaper.com

[munchymunch]

Any idea when something will be announced, also I think tese will be like those couple of curvy towers in Dubai that was proposed a few years back just closer.

[BraveNewWorld]

Originally Posted by pilsenarch

It is similar to the Arquitectonica proposal, but the 'hole' is at the bottom...

The hole is at the bottom, and there are three tubes instead of the more square shape of Arquitectonica ?

Can you give us a better idea of the design ?

[BVictor1]

There've been a few minor changes to the Optima II Tower.

The number of hotel rooms have been increased by about 30 and the number of parking spaces has been decreased by about 30.

Building height has increased to 560' as measured from upper Illinois (which is 23'-10" high) and not including the elevator overrun.

Lower Illinois is 13'-5"CCD.

[pilsenarch]

Originally Posted by BraveNewWorld

The hole is at the bottom, and there are three tubes instead of the more square shape of Arquitectonica ?

Can you give us a better idea of the design ?

This is funny... I, of course, could try a quick sketch, but I think that would be crossing the line somehow... so you guys are getting very close...

Try imagining a cross between LVDW's suggestion above and ardecila's OMA suggestion except the 'frustums' (5-6 stories each) don't form the whole of each 'tube' (square in plan) but are stacked, each one inverted on top of another...

so, if these 'tubes' are aligned next to each other, the frustums alternate vertically and horizontally as to their orientation creating somewhat of an overlapping weave effect...

like I said before, the resulting architecture would appear to be very difficult to justify with many programs, particularly a hotel (due to the inevitable increase and decrease of SF with each floor), and, although she tried to make an argument that the slope of the glass facing downward (on the downward frustums) would be 'green' as far as shading the glass, the upward slope on the remaining frustums (50% of the whole) would more then counteract that positive effect with glass angled to catch the sun... O_o

[denizen467]

^ Thanks, that description helps. It sounds very exciting. Hope Gang can push against the VE forces. Maybe a new luxe hotel brand will want this riverside location and this design, like Shangri-La or Mandarin (finally). I don't know how much Radisson Blu guests take advantage of the LSE park, but having the park on one side and the river and the fountain on the other side would sure be a great amenity.
.

[chicubs111]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

There've been a few minor changes to the Optima II Tower.

The number of hotel rooms have been increased by about 30 and the number of parking spaces has been decreased by about 30.

Building height has increased to 560' as measured from upper Illinois (which is 23'-10" high) and not including the elevator overrun.

Lower Illinois is 13'-5"CCD.

^ Jeesh i thought this tower would be in the 600ft range...seems like all our apt buildings have fairly low ceiling heights relative to toronto or NY

[Mr Downtown]

Wait. The designer of the world's largest radiator now wants to be "green?"

[pilsenarch]

^LOL, yes, there is a little bit of the emperor and clothes thing (literally) with a lot of Jeanne's designs..,

[UPChicago]

Originally Posted by pilsenarch

This is funny... I, of course, could try a quick sketch, but I think that would be crossing the line somehow... so you guys are getting very close...

Try imagining a cross between LVDW's suggestion above and ardecila's OMA suggestion except the 'frustums' (5-6 stories each) don't form the whole of each 'tube' (square in plan) but are stacked, each one inverted on top of another...

so, if these 'tubes' are aligned next to each other, the frustums alternate vertically and horizontally as to their orientation creating somewhat of an overlapping weave effect...

like I said before, the resulting architecture would appear to be very difficult to justify with many programs, particularly a hotel (due to the inevitable increase and decrease of SF with each floor), and, although she tried to make an argument that the slope of the glass facing downward (on the downward frustums) would be 'green' as far as shading the glass, the upward slope on the remaining frustums (50% of the whole) would more then counteract that positive effect with glass angled to catch the sun... O_o

Quick sketch or it didn't happen!

[Steely Dan]

* MODERATOR EDIT *

I've deleted the off-topic New Yorker nonsense from this thread.

Please carry on with discussion about Gang LSE, Optima II, and all the other other exciting chicago highrise developments.

[Notyrview]

I'm really underwhelmed with Optima and Optima II. I wonder why Hovey didn't exercise his obvious creativity more?

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Notyrview

I'm really underwhelmed with Optima and Optima II. I wonder why Hovey didn't exercise his obvious creativity more?

Because you and I are Homer Simpson. We cannot possibly appreciate the genius of his buildings. They are so ingenious that nobody can even tell, and if you can't tell, that makes you Homer Simpson.

[rlw777]

Is there a start / completion date for Optima II?

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by pilsenarch

This is funny... I, of course, could try a quick sketch, but I think that would be crossing the line somehow... so you guys are getting very close...

Try imagining a cross between LVDW's suggestion above and ardecila's OMA suggestion except the 'frustums' (5-6 stories each) don't form the whole of each 'tube' (square in plan) but are stacked, each one inverted on top of another...

so, if these 'tubes' are aligned next to each other, the frustums alternate vertically and horizontally as to their orientation creating somewhat of an overlapping weave effect...

like I said before, the resulting architecture would appear to be very difficult to justify with many programs, particularly a hotel (due to the inevitable increase and decrease of SF with each floor), and, although she tried to make an argument that the slope of the glass facing downward (on the downward frustums) would be 'green' as far as shading the glass, the upward slope on the remaining frustums (50% of the whole) would more then counteract that positive effect with glass angled to catch the sun... O_o

I know literally exactly what this building will look like. Thanks for that description, makes perfect sense to me.

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by pilsenarch

no, I meant the "axis" of LSD... the bottom of it stops 10-15 stories above upper Wacker so it aligns with LSD...

driving north on LSD you will see the opening aligned with the drive in the middle of 3 attached vertical forms ending in varying heights at the top of the tower with the middle one stopping short at the base and being supported by the two tubes on either side...

I can't believe Loewenberg would ever build the thing I saw... it was begging to be value-engineered, and even worst, Jeanne's justification for the unusual forms (google 'frustum') of the three tubes (besides it 'looked cool') was wanting from a programmatic or environmental perspective... so I'll be surprised if and when it is finally revealed that the 'interlocking' forms remain, but I would also be surprised if the three bundled tube concept isn't since it is a concept that predates her design work...

You can bet he's looking to hack away here and there.........there are scenarios perhaps where she successfully gets through the interlocking forms as you describe, but later significant ve in material quality and/or facade detail......that to me might be the worst case scenario actually, and hopefully Gang wouldn't allow the project to go down that route.....

[Skyguy_7]

^^Perfect excuse to exercise your sketching skills, LVDW...

Regarding Optima II, when the plans came out to bid last fall, they advertised a Dec 2013 start date. I'm thinking that was a typo and actual construction start will be Dec '14.

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

There've been a few minor changes to the Optima II Tower.

The number of hotel rooms have been increased by about 30 and the number of parking spaces has been decreased by about 30.

Building height has increased to 560' as measured from upper Illinois (which is 23'-10" high) and not including the elevator overrun.

Lower Illinois is 13'-5"CCD.

Any word on if a hotel brand has been selected/agreed-to yet? What's the current floor count/has that changed?


Other Streeterville observations from earlier in the week: Still no activity whatsoever on Golub 545 N McClurg site/former RIC surface lot..........also, new RIC moving ahead at a nice clip now - tower portion of overall site now has 2 complete levels framed, and it must have one of the largest if not the single largest core I've seen - as it begins to rise at least - in terms of downtown office/institutional construction projects (so of course meaning all downtown projects) over the past ~15 years....

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by Skyguy_7

^^Perfect excuse to exercise your sketching skills, LVDW...

Regarding Optima II, when the plans came out to bid last fall, they advertised a Dec 2013 start date. I'm thinking that was a typo and actual construction start will be Dec '14.

This:



Excuse my shitty 10 min sketch, but you get the picture. Stacked frustrums that weave in and out in three bundled tubes with the middle one stopping short. I ran out of paper or I'd have finished the top, but you can see the general massing I sketched out to the left before I did the right one. I can see why Lowemburg would probably go at this with a VE chainsaw. Of course I have no idea what this actually looks like, but just trying to demonstrate the general massing Pilsenarch seems to be describing.

[wierdaaron]

Life from art