CHICAGO | Boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v5

[SevenSevenThree]

OFF TOPIC: Where in the world is spyguy? Anyone know? I havent seen him on here in a minute. For as long as he has been gone, I demand renderings of projects Ive yet to see. Damn it.

Seriously, I hope things are well.

[Mr Downtown]

Remember that the Apparel Center was designed to house showrooms that wanted NO windows, for the same reasons (climate control, controlled light color for viewing merchandise) that Water Tower Place and most new retail stores have no windows. So the blank walls were a program requirement.

[Behind_Phips]

Needs some help Chicago!!!

We Atlanta folk, just realized that our Trump project is almost identical to a building in Chicago. Does anyone know the building's name and who is the architect.? Thanks guys.

[Pandemonious]

Originally Posted by a chicago bearcat

so, today I was talking to someone in my office
and we were discussing a visit he had made to Pelli
a few months ago

He mentioned that he saw a model for a mixed use project across the river from a project he had worked on before

we continued to discuss and figured out he ws talking about this wolf point proposal.

He said it was really elegant, and one of pelli's best recent designs
he also said pelli is one of the classiest architects he's had the opportunity to interview

Not that I doubt what you said, but the planning of how large/many these towers would be took place literally within the last couple of weeks... so there is no way a design could have been seen months ago. I suppose it is possible that Pelli had studied the site before and was toying around with some ideas. From what I can tell, the site plan they are using now is identical to one conceived quite a while ago, just recycled.

Wolf point will break 1,000' to the roof, but don't expect it to be higher than Waterview Tower, unless some sort of spire is conceived, which I will admit Pelli is known for.

[honte]

^ You know, I wouldn't be opposed to a spire on this building, if the design calls for it (and no, not some PoMo junk). Not for the height, but because this location demands to be terminated with an exclamation point. The tower must command the area, and to do that in our river canyon, it must express its verticality and reach heavenward.

Originally Posted by Behind_Phips

Needs some help Chicago!!!

We Atlanta folk, just realized that our Trump project is almost identical to a building in Chicago. Does anyone know the building's name and who is the architect.? Thanks guys.

The building you are looking at on the right is the Regatta, designed by DeStefano+Partners of Chicago.

Good luck with the Trump.

[Alliance]

Originally Posted by Rocket1

An 89 storey building a "disappointment"?

Only in Chicago.

Yup, i certainly think this site commands something taller.

Hopefully:

1. The archetecture is phenomenal and much better than Pelli's other attempts in Chicago.

2. It's spireless.

3. It gets bigger.

[BVictor1]

I've heard that SoNo has begun construction.

I don't know if they are drilling both towers at once or not. I will get over there as soon as possible.

[DHamp]

Originally Posted by Alliance

Yup, i certainly think this site commands something taller.

Hopefully:

1. The archetecture is phenomenal and much better than Pelli's other attempts in Chicago.

2. It's spireless.

3. It gets bigger.

I'm on board with that list. Although I wouldn't really mind a spire if the design of the rest of the building called for it: think 2Pru. But we don't need another NYT or Trump Chicago style meaningless spire

Pelli did do the Skyneedle... I hardly hear anybody complain about that one.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

I've heard that SoNo has begun construction.

I don't know if they are drilling both towers at once or not. I will get over there as soon as possible.

^ Awesome. I really like that project

[jcchii]

in that rendering on the prior page the skyline is starting to look a little overweighted to the south.
going to need a few more elysians and a 1000 footer up north near JHC

[TransitEngr]

Originally Posted by kayosthery

Welds on the diagonal bracing of one of the tower sections had failed. They needed to remove that section before a catastrophic failure occured. All is well now.

Mildly unsettling.

(looking up at tower cranes)

Oh well... life goes on.

[SlatsGrobnik]

Originally Posted by jcchii

in that rendering on the prior page the skyline is starting to look a little overweighted to the south.
going to need a few more elysians and a 1000 footer up north near JHC

680 N. Rush will certainly help.

[nomarandlee]

I really like the formula that the Wolf Point project is planning especially the 89 story tower. With 350 hotel rooms, 650 apartments, and 400 condos it will not take that many condo's to be sold to get this project off the ground and a realization I hope.

[Mr Roboto]

Pelli sounds like a good choice, but to me he's a little up and down. Some of his stuff looks great, others, not so much. In Madison he did an arts center called the Overture, and I wasn't impressed. But some of his skyscrapers Ive seen are pretty dope (I like petronas a lot).

Anyways, the proposal sounds intriguing, but until renderings are shown there's no reason to get that excited yet. One thing, for Wolf Point, 89 stories is not quite the colossus many may have been expecting/hoping for that site. But as long as the design looks great, (and the other two buildings look are incorporated well) I couldn't hope for more.

[Dr. Taco]

^ I think thats almost the consensus, sans a couple people who crave more height before a height number even comes out. If this building is gorgeous (and judging by the photos i've seen of his projects on his website, its highly possible) and, as importantly, unique, then it will be a winner

and, a chicago bearcat, i hope you are right

[Dolemite]

I can't wait to see the Wolfpoint renderings. I was hoping for something taller than 89 stories (prefably something in the 1400 ft range)...but Perelli is one of my favorite architects, so the trade off is good.

Does anyone else think that Hines' 200 Riverfront Plaza was concieved to compliment these towers? Riverfront Plaza and 33 W Wacker will basically be giant mirrors that will reflect the Wolfpoint complex.

[chitown12]

Yeah I agree. Hopefully a couple of 800-1000 footers get proposed for that area by the JHC.

[Norsider]

Originally Posted by Dolemite

I can't wait to see the Wolfpoint renderings. I was hoping for something taller than 89 stories (prefably something in the 1400 ft range)...but Perelli is one of my favorite architects, so the trade off is good.

Does anyone else think that Hines' 200 Riverfront Plaza was concieved to compliment these towers? Riverfront Plaza and 33 W Wacker will basically be giant mirrors that will reflect the Wolfpoint complex.

I'd say no. 200 Riverside was designed many many months ago, long before the partnership with the Kennedys was even formed. Perhaps the design was intended to reflect whatever might one day end up at Wolf Point, but I'd say that the context it was attempting to fit into is the curving style of the 333 and riverbend. I'm sure it was not designed to be a foil to any other future building. Even with WP completed, 200 will be a fairly prominent building in its own right, as it will terminate the west view down the river.

[Norsider]

Originally Posted by jstush04

judging by the photos i've seen of his projects on his website, its highly possible

Cesar Pelli's office portfolio is sick. I cannot wait to see a rendering on this.

[the urban politician]

Looking to beef up apartments
REAL ESTATE | Near North renters might be getting ritzy room service

August 1, 2007
BY DAVID ROEDER [email protected]
In today's residential market, developers need to stand out from the crowd. James Letchinger, president of JDL Development Corp., might do that by chasing a unique customer base: renters who eat meat.
Especially those hungry for steaks at Gene & Georgetti's, 500 N. Franklin. Letchinger has a deal with the restaurant's owner, Tony Durpetti, to buy property on the block east of the restaurant and put up an apartment building. One amenity under consideration, he said, is letting the renters call Gene's for room service.......

More at link below, but I just had to post this interesting excerpt from the article:

Letchinger said negotiations with the community have brought about several design improvements to the apartment tower. He wouldn't get into specifics, but said groups have asked for a tall, lean design rather than something that sprawls over every available square foot.

http://www.suntimes.com/business/roeder/491488,CST-FIN-roeder01.article

PDNA, are you reading this?