CHICAGO | General Developments

[cbotnyse]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Sofitel Chicago Water Tower Ranks No. 1 in the World
Sofitel Exceeds Expectations on Expedia's Insiders' Select List| 09 May 2008 | 09:42 AM ET
DALLAS, May 9, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Sofitel Chicago Water Tower received top recognition on the second annual Insider's Select(TM) list of the world's best hotels, unveiled this week by Expedia(R). Of the 899 worldwide hotel properties listed, Sofitel Chicago Water Tower captured the No. 1 spot.

in the world??? Penninsula? Four Seasons? Park Hyatt? Ritz?

pretty cool though.

[Via Chicago]

From the Art Institute webcam..the bridge has been going in since last night

[jcchii]

wow
that looks great. very cool

[spyguy]

[honte]

Originally Posted by neverdone

Does anyone know the name of the building being built the is northwest of the intersection of clybourn and division?

Nothing is being built at the NW corner ... that is where the Crate + Barrel is, etc.

You are probably thinking of SW. The two projects going on there are the SoNo towers by Booth+Hansen and the Chicago British School by Valario DeWalt Train.

[EarlyBuyer]

Thanks spyguy for the time lapse!

[neverdone]

Originally Posted by honte

Nothing is being built at the NW corner ... that is where the Crate + Barrel is, etc.

You are probably thinking of SW. The two projects going on there are the SoNo towers by Booth+Hansen and the Chicago British School by Valario DeWalt Train.

I think you are right Honte, it may be the Chicago British School. I will take closer look. These are the same guys who designed the Miglin Staybridge Suites, two interesting projects.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by honte

Originally Posted by neverdone
"Does anyone know the name of the building being built the is northwest of the intersection of clybourn and division? "

>>Nothing is being built at the NW corner ... that is where the Crate + Barrel is, etc.

You are probably thinking of SW. The two projects going on there are the SoNo towers by Booth+Hansen and the Chicago British School by Valario DeWalt Train.

If neverdone meant Division then I think you guys have a disconnect. Crate&Barrel is at Clybourn and North Avenue.

There is a slick modern building on the west side of Clyborn just NW from the intersection with Division, across from the Dominick's strip mall/parking lot. That building is a modern SRO, I believe.

Edit: yeah this may be what you're thinking of? Mercy Lakefront SRO

[neverdone]

emathias, I'm sorry I should have been more specific, the building I was talking about is still under construction, and it isn't exactly on the corner or division and cylbourn, it is much further northwest, it could even be on a different street. I just saw it around that particular intersection. The building you pointed out is pretty interesting too, it's also quite famous!

[honte]

Originally Posted by emathias

There is a slick modern building on the west side of Clyborn just NW from the intersection with Division, across from the Dominick's strip mall/parking lot. That building is a modern SRO, I believe.

Yeah, yeah, my mistake for misreading his message. Anyway, there is nothing new at the NW corner of Division / Clybourn either. Jahn's SRO has been done for over a year now (maybe two?), so I assume that's not what he's talking about. There is a new "Green" condo building with a tacky strip of LEDs changing colors a bit further up the street, but I forget the architects and the building is pretty forgettable too. There is also the Brininstool building that will happen along that stretch, but it's not started yet.

So, I think my post probably answered his question anyway.

[Tom Servo]

Originally Posted by neverdone

emathias, I'm sorry I should have been more specific, the building I was talking about is still under construction, and it isn't exactly on the corner or division and cylbourn, it is much further northwest, it could even be on a different street. I just saw it around that particular intersection. The building you pointed out is pretty interesting too, it's also quite famous!

the helmut jahn sro is expanding all the way to division and then wrapping around the corner to cleveland ave... i didn't know it was already under construction though. hmmm

also, on the SOUTH WEST corner, there is that atrociously ugly, horrifyingly bad residential development u/c
http://www.parksideofoldtown.com/



u/c:


(bad architecture: ruining chicago one god awful development at a time)

[BVictor1]

ARCHITECTURE NOTES

City to mark 100th anniversary of Burnham Plan

By Blair Kamin | Tribune critic
May 5, 2008



The publicity drums already are beating for next year's 100th anniversary celebration of the Burnham Plan, the masterful urban planning document that changed the face of Chicago and established the field of city planning worldwide. Officially called the Plan of Chicago, the 1909 plan was co-authored by Chicago architects Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett (everybody always forgets Bennett) and sponsored by the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Among its legacies: North Michigan Avenue, the Michigan Avenue bridge, Wacker Drive, Congress Parkway, Roosevelt Road, Northerly Island and Chicago's continuous chain of lakefront parks. Most important, in successfully remaking key portions of booming but chaotic Chicago, the plan revealed that cities everywhere could be reshaped to provide generous public spaces and, with them, a sense of community.

Expect a June 24 announcement from the Burnham Plan Centennial Committee, including the tantalizing—and already controversial—possibility that two Pritzker Prize-winning architects may design special (and presumably temporary) pavilions in Millennium Park to mark the plan's centennial.

With the debate over the Chicago Children's Museum's plan for a mostly underground new facility in Grant Park looming in the background, commentors on my blog— www.chicagotribune.com/theskyline—don't like the idea of cluttering Grant Park with another building, even if it's temporary.




One writes: "A new plan is needed for the next 100 years in Chicago, and it's time to move away from the lakefront, which is so full they're burying stuff to fit it in."

• Speaking of the Children's Museum battle, the Union League Club of Chicago on Tuesday will hold a forum featuring two principals in the debate: Jennifer Farrington, the museum's president and chief executive officer, and Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd), who has defied Mayor Richard M. Daley in opposing the museum's plan. The public is welcome. The discussion will start at 8 a.m. at the club, 65 W. Jackson Blvd. You can sign up by calling 312-435-5946. Cost is $20 per person. The event begins with breakfast at 7:30 a.m. The club promises that adjournment will occur no later than 9:30 a.m. The club has not taken a position on the controversy.

bkamin@tribune.com

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by AdrianXSands

(bad architecture: ruining chicago one god awful development at a time)

^ That part of Chicago was already "ruined" by that shitty, hopelessly anti-urban strip mall across the street. GOD what a collossal waste of space! TEAR IT DOWN ALREADY!

[BVictor1]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/9...idge11.article

New Millennium Park bridge shaping up as work of art

May 11, 2008Recommend

BY MONIFA THOMAS Staff Reporter mjthomas@suntimes.com
It's hard to steal attention from the Bean and those giant faces on the video screens at Millennium Park. But the sleek bridge being built next door came pretty close.

Tongues were wagging Saturday about Nichols Bridgeway, a 620-foot-long pedestrian bridge linking the Art Institute's under-construction Modern Wing to Millennium Park. Contractors began installing the frame of the bridge over Monroe Street on Friday night.


Workers install the bridge’s frame over Monroe Street on Saturday. The bridge will link the Art Institute’s under-construction Modern Wing to Millennium Park.
(Al Podgorski/Sun-Times)


This view of the bridge looks west along Monroe from the lakefront. The bridge was designed by architect Renzo Piano.

And while the structure isn't complete, onlookers seemed pretty impressed by what they saw Saturday.

"I think it's fabulous," said Bill Padnos, of Ukrainian Village, who noticed the bridge while driving by on Michigan Avenue and stopped to take a closer look. "It goes right along with [Frank Gehry's BP Bridge] as something that's unique to Chicago and also is aesthetically beautiful."

The steel bridge was designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano, who also designed the Modern Wing building. The structure takes its name from Art Institute donors John and Alexandra Nichols, who gave $19 million toward the cost of the Modern Wing project.

Unlike Gehry's snakelike BP Bridge over Columbus Drive, Nichols Bridgeway is long and thin with only a slight curve to it -- a design inspired by the hull of a boat.

The bridge is to open to the public next spring, in conjunction with the museum's new wing.

When it does, it should offer stunning views of Michigan Avenue, Millennium Park and the lakefront.

Bridge installation will continue for the rest of the weekend, shutting down Monroe between Michigan and Columbus until about 5 a.m. Monday.

[aaron38]

^^^ I forsee some forumers getting some great shots from that bridge.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by AdrianXSands

...
(bad architecture: ruining chicago one god awful development at a time)

Personally, I'm just glad they didn't just throw up more 3-flats like they did a few blocks west on Division.

[honte]

^ Agreed. At least it resembles the core of a city somewhat. However, that development includes a whole bunch of smaller buildings too, unfortunately.

[mcfinley]

Originally Posted by emathias

Personally, I'm just glad they didn't just throw up more 3-flats like they did a few blocks west on Division.

I agree, it would have been better if they included some mixed use retail on the site, but this is bringing some substantial density to the area. It looks like they're putting about 120 units on a site that would fit 20 townhouses on the same footprint.

Overall, the architecture doesn't seem that bad to me. It's no X/O, but it's better better than the average POS you see in the suburbs.

[HowardL]

Originally Posted by honte

^ Agreed. At least it resembles the core of a city somewhat. However, that development includes a whole bunch of smaller buildings too, unfortunately.

And it's good that they have re-introduced the street grid back into the superblocks. It wasn't like that when Florida and JJ still lived there.

[the urban politician]

Kind of hard to get excited about the density when you've got this trash across the steet:

Trash across the street