CHICAGO | Boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v5 - Page 110

Norsider · #**2181** Posted **Jul 19, 2007, 5:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rocket1

What does "adding texture" refer to in architecture-speak?

Filling in a vacant lot with something a bit different?

The Smurfit-Stone building is a perfect example of what is meant by "texture." The X's on the Hancock building is texture. The staggered setback of Sears is texture. Pretty much anything that would end up on an abstract drawing of a skyline is adding texture to the whole.

Texture goes beyond architecture and becomes "place identity"

Norsider · #**2182** Posted **Jul 19, 2007, 6:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

No I have to agree with the other guys Adrian, I think 55w Wacker is a great building, especially in how it adds to the texture of the Wacker Streetwall, that's probably the best thing about 55, adding texture...

Survey every person getting off a architectural boat tour and I'd wager that 95% won't even remember seeing 55 W. Wacker. I think "memorable" is a pretty integral part of the whole concept of texture.

It's a decent building if we're talking about Holidomes and random offices off Peterson ave or downtown Akron perhaps, but not in Chicago and not on the river. I'm surprised so many here like it, let alone love it. One of the best buildings in Chicago? Even if someone really really liked 55WW this strains credulity. It's not even the best building on its block.

To paraphrase a quote from "Chinatown" : politicians, whores, and ugly buildings all get respect if they just stick around long enough.

Steely Dan · #**2183** Posted **Jul 19, 2007, 7:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Norsider

One of the best buildings in Chicago? Even if someone really really liked 55WW this strains credulity.

please explain how it strains credulity? it's just my opinion, not some objective fact or anything. i guess i didn't get the memo that said i'm not allowed to have opinions.

i don't really care if you like the building or not, but i hold fast to MY opinion that it is an absolutely fantastic work of architecture, regardless of what the tourists on the riverboat cruises may or may not remember about it. i don't base my taste in architecture upon the fleeting impressions of tourists who've never spent more than 5 minutes thinking critically about architecture in their entire lives.

but, we've taken this thread far enough off course with all this 55 west wacker talk. you're allowed to express your opinion about the structure, but the manner in which you tried to dismiss mine makes you come across as a bit of an ass. if it upsets you that i think 55 west wacker is a marvelous structure, well, that's just too friggin' bad.

enough with the idle chit-chat, now back to out regularly scheduled chicago high rise project updates.*

(*) all further 55 west wacker distraction will be deleted from this thread.

SolarWind · #**2184** Posted **Jul 20, 2007, 1:34 AM**

July 19, 2007

theWit Hotel

Trio

353 North Clark

SolarWind · #**2185** Posted **Jul 20, 2007, 1:34 AM**

July 19, 2007

Kingsbury Plaza

Allure at K Station

the urban politician · #**2186** Posted **Jul 20, 2007, 2:02 AM**

Can somebody please comment on this post from SSC:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prairie Avenue

All of you NIMBY hating PDNA name callers come on down, it appears Haithcock's upzoning for the X/O Tower will be reversed and the street down zoned to where it was before which means the dancing towers will now be dancing dwarfs if anything at all.

APPRAISER · #**2187** Posted **Jul 20, 2007, 2:03 AM**

Great photos SolarWind!
By the way does anyone know anything about 150 e ontario or the street II?
I haven't heard anything about them in some time and the last time i went by their sites there was no activity.

harryc · #**2188** Posted **Jul 20, 2007, 3:21 AM**

I didn't realize that the building was so in tune with it's surroundings until I saw this fantastic shot from SolarWind showing how it was desinged to match the METRA trains

Great pic

wrab · #**2189** Posted **Jul 20, 2007, 3:59 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Can somebody please comment on this post from SSC:

Yeah - there is also a title to it - Lock & Load - which doesn't come through on the quote. Super inappropriate. Taunting, even. All it does is to encourage a heated personal response & perpetuate vitriol in the topic forum.

SamInTheLoop · #**2190** Posted **Jul 20, 2007, 4:49 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Can somebody please comment on this post from SSC:

There's virtually 0% chance of that happening. I find it highly unlikely that Fioretti would attempt something so foolish realizing that such a move would never stand up in court, which is where he would wind up...

Also....the Nimbies are really trying to infiltrate SSC....I'll certainly do my part to push back...

SamInTheLoop · #**2191** Posted **Jul 20, 2007, 4:50 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by APPRAISER

Great photos SolarWind!
By the way does anyone know anything about 150 e ontario or the street II?
I haven't heard anything about them in some time and the last time i went by their sites there was no activity.

Who knows what the deal is with 150 ontario. I don't see that one happening, but I could be biased as I'm not a huge fan of it...

Look for Streeter II to begin very soon (if it hasn't already - haven't been by the site in several weeks)...

SamInTheLoop · #**2192** Posted **Jul 20, 2007, 4:55 AM**

Great pics per the norm. Kingsbury Plaza looks great in those. 353 Des Plaines looks like it's gonna be a real dud - a taller, thinner version of Prison on State. Looks like they might be ready to begin the tower at Trio...
Hopefully they are finishing caissons this week at 353 clark and excavation can get underway...

SamInTheLoop · #**2193** Posted **Jul 20, 2007, 5:00 AM**

There is a soil testing drill on the site (just west of the existing garage and practically right beside a Gotham Police Department armored vehicle and the Joker's semi (illustration of amusement park and "Slaughter is the Best Medicine" slogan - Ledger is down there right now for the shoot as I assume Bale and his batpod or mobile are as well - should be some wild high speed stunt work tonight...going to go down and check it out in a bit...

..............Anyway about the Lake and Wells tower - this will be a great addition to the neighborhood.....solid infill and wil be a great positive impact for street life in the hood...

SamInTheLoop · #**2194** Posted **Jul 20, 2007, 5:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sir Isaac Newton

I called the sales offices of some proposed high-rises in the city, this afternoon, to see if I could find out their estimated groundbreaking dates. This is what I found: (keep in mind that this is what the salespeople told me, so take it at face value...)

Avalon (21st and Indiana) - apparently they are already gutting out the lofts in the low-rise portion of the development, and these lofts will begin deliveries in January, 2008. The salesperson did not know when groundbreaking would begin on the highrise portion.

Azure Tower - they didn't give me a groundbreaking date for this one either, but they did say that they will be working on the rehabbed condos in the Courthouse next door in the near future, and would do this first, before working on the Azure tower.

X/O - the salesperson estimated a groundbreaking of either late this year or early 2008. They said that sales on the North tower were a little over 60% sold, and a little over 30% for the South Tower.

SoNo - supposedly groundbreaking will begin in 2 weeks! (although their definition of "groundbreaking" could be different than ours in that they may just be starting site-prep then, and not actually drilling caissons).

1349 South Wabash - the salesperson said that groundbreaking would begin in September of this year.

R+D659 - both the website and the salesperson have reported that "construction has begun". The website shows pictures of construction work going on at the site, but it doesn't look like caissons have been drilled yet: http://www.rd659.com/

565 Quincy - the salesperson told me that they have already started gutting out the existing 7 story building; and that the crane should go up for the additional floors in a few months.

Park Kingsbury - the Grand Opening will be on July 24, in less than a week from now.

Thank you Sir Isaac! Good info - I try to do this as well every so often but haven't been able to in a while....... One thing though - Park Kingsbury (the new construction condo tower designed by Lucien Lagrange) is a dead project. The developers (I believe it's still Cataldo Marovitz) are now just doing an adaptive re-use on the existing structure - turning into condo lofts. Perhaps they are still using the name "Park Kingsbury" for this loft project??

Another project I am interested to find out how sales and construction timing look is Glashaus at 1327 S. Wabash. I'm looking forward to this one. Hopefully sales are at least decent and they can break ground later this summer/fall as originally planned....

SamInTheLoop · #**2195** Posted **Jul 20, 2007, 5:15 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by honte

^ Here is the article. It will be a relief for those of you who feared another Bofill.

______________

July 18, 2007

Reschke changes plan for West Loop site
By Alby Gallun

http://chicagorealestatedaily.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=25689

(Crain’s) — Chicago developer Michael W. Reschke is reworking his plan to develop a long-vacant riverside site in the West Loop, opting to build a hotel and apartments there instead of condominiums.

The revised proposal for the parcel at 150 N. Riverside Plaza would include a 300-room all-suites hotel and a 665-unit luxury apartment tower, says Mr. Reschke, who has controlled part of the site for 19 years. He expects to submit the two-tower plan in August to the city Department of Planning and Development.

With the hotel comprising about 30 stories and the apartment building rising about 55, it would be a smaller project than the one city officials approved several years ago, which called for 45- and 55-story towers and 835 condos, Mr. Reschke says. The condo market has gone into a tailspin since then, while investors are bidding up prices of hotels and apartment buildings.

“We’re in a conundrum in the market where luxury apartments can have a greater square-foot value than condos, in certain locations,” says Mr. Reschke, who also is developing a 121-unit condo project in the Gold Coast.

Conundrum might be a good word to describe the West Loop site. Mr. Reschke bought the eastern half of the property in 1988, talking then about building an office project there. But he spent years trying to buy the air rights over train tracks on the western half from Amtrak, finally reaching an agreement in 2001. He has yet to close on the air-rights transaction and declines to disclose terms.

Chicago-based DeStefano & Partners is designing the new project. Mr. Reschke says he’s talking to several hotel chains about the site, calling Embassy Suites “the front runner.” Assuming the city approves the new plan, he aims to break ground in mid-2008.

That is a huge, huge relief if it is DeStefano alone designing both towers (I know that DeStefano has (regrettably) worked with Bofill in the past!!) Could Reschke actually be talked into a decent modern design?? I love 2nd century Rome and 15th century Florence, but I don't want to live in them!! Also, smart move by Reschke to dump the condos and go apartment and hotel. Maybe we can get this two tower residential-hotel project and the two tower office-hotel project by Hines across the street under construction at the same time - now that would be sweet!

APPRAISER · #**2196** Posted **Jul 20, 2007, 5:59 AM**

Thanks SamInTheLoop!!
150 E Ontario has been inactive for awhile!!
The only thing i have seen around this site is an empty lot with a green fence around it!?

harryc · #**2197** Posted **Jul 20, 2007, 2:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

...snip...
Hopefully they are finishing caissons this week at 353 clark and excavation can get underway...

Excavation is underway, they started before all the caisson tubes were out of the way.
The offices were dragged in by Joker Towing, fit real well with the Batman filming.

Yesterday at 353 N Clark

Abnd from today - a messag to Case from the next crew ?