CHICAGO | Miglin Beitler Skyneedle | 2,000 FT / 610 M | 125 FLOORS | NEVER BUILT

[STR]

Supposedly this one was going to share design details with Pelli's 181 W Madison across the street.

[denizen467]

^ Same architect, same time period.

No one here ever posted the front page of the Wall Street Journal (sometime in 1990?) that had this running like half the length of the page. Sexy stuff. That page should go into some Unbuilt Chicago display/collection.

[M II A II R II K]

With the parking lot still there, something tall may end up in that spot some day, even if it's not a supertall.

[ardecila]

I do like how the parking garage allows the Madison/Wells intersection to get some daylight. With the modernized elevated train station, it forms a nice urban vignette that's very well-lit.

[Phil McAvity]

"The Petronas Towers have an obvious design reference, with the exception of having round floorplates as opposed to square ones."-Wikipedia article on Miglin Beitler Skyneedle.

I'm surprised that Wikipedia would say such a thing since the main thing that separates Petronas from other supertalls is it's cylindrical shape. I guess because Pelli designed both, the writer of that blurb on wikipedia just decided they must look the same......but they don't. In fact about the only architectural feature they share is the spire on top. Miglin-Beitler was much more like the Empire State Building than it is Petronas. The Miglin-Beitler Skyneedle also showed what a great architect Pelli is due to to how different his designs are. Cesar Pelli is everything Frank Gehry should be.

Originally Posted by AvatarMike

I think one day, both this and the Illinois will be built. You gotta remember that Chicago lost alot of people between the 50s and 80s because of suburban and southern migration. Now Chicago is recovering, and as a major Architectual center of the world, it still has alot to offer but as for now, man, it looks really awesome.

This is another ridiculous comment. The reason the Illinois was never built had little to do with mass exodus from the city and much more to do with the difficulties in trying to finance such a huge project. Do you think it's a coincidence that the Chicago Spire (which is a way less ambitious project than the Illinois) went tits up at the same time the recession hit? I don't think so. Not only that but if such an exodus occurred, how is it that Chicago has built numerous supertalls since the Illinois was proposed? I think you have Chicago mixed up with cities like Detroit and St. Louis.

[meh_cd]

It's such a shame this thing was never built.

[Roadcruiser1]

This building is interesting, but again I think it has too many set backs. If it is to be built in the past or the future it should look more like a taller Empire State Building.

[Tony73]

Well this tower will be perfect for Manhattan.

[Pete8680]

Sigh...... What a shame this was not built. Of all the buildings proposed that where never built at 1,900 plus feet, this was the best. The Sky City proposal in Changsha sort of looks like this but squatter yet taller.

[ChiTownWonder]

it wouldn't fit well in the skyline. the setbacks leading up to a point is more New York style. if you look at the supertalls in chicago, 5 out of 6 of them are flat roofed.

[HomrQT]

I still wish this would happen for Chicago... =/

[maru2501]

^ 7SD was better

[Randomguy34]

Originally Posted by HomrQT

I still wish this would happen for Chicago... =/

Who knows, maybe we will get something like that if SHoP designs the tower. At this point, only time will tell what will happen next. Here's hoping that the best design gets picked

[Busy Bee]

Ah the olde MBT... makes me feel like a kid again. It could be proposed right now and I doubt anyone would call it an anachronism.

[scalziand]

^I just think it's impressive that the structure of MBT representeda shift away from the (bundled) core-tube type structures, paving the way for a lot of the supertalls that have gone up around the world since then, which have the core/outrigger type construction.

[chicubs111]

The skyneedle is the best supertall proposal that Chicago never got ... I wish this building would some how become resurected because its actually a very elegant building for a supertall and without of doube would of replaced the sears tower or hancock as chicago's signature building. The only thing i would critique on this building would be the number of setback which can easily be reduced to have and still have the same proportions

[WhatTheHeck5205]

Not sure if anyone saw the recent American Crime Story miniseries about the murder of Gianni Versace, but Versace and Lee Miglin were killed by the same person and Miglin’s plans for the Skyneedle are featured in flashback scenes about Miglin’s death.

[rgarri4]

• Video Link

[canucklehead2]

Awesome rendering! I STILL want this tower to be built along with almost all of the 2000-ish era and height towers like 7SD, Project 2000, Wolf Point... Sigh!