CHICAGO | Aqua | 858 FT / 262 M | 87 FLOORS

[Mojava]

Originally Posted by ardecila

I'm pretty sure they will finish the building up to its final height, but the bottom hotel portion will be unoccupied. It'll probably end up as either residential units (condo or rental) or Magellan will be able to line up another hotel tenant. Also, as trvlr70 mentioned, the amenities in the podium may not be finished either (ballroom, pool, gardens).

It may be difficult and/or very expensive to convert these hotel rooms into residential. Moving or adding plumbing/electrical, etc this late in the game is costly.

I think it will be very difficult to get another hotel in there. Remember, this was an addition to an existing hotel so I'm sure a very specific program was designed specifically for the Fairmont. These rumours have been circulating for a while so perhaps Magellan has plan b in the works.

Also, I wonder how this effects the mind set of the condo buyers. Were they promised any kind of services for the hotel?

[Alliance]

I almost positive they weren't. These were not Hotel-Condos ala Waterview. As mentioned, "services" dropped would include stuff (ballroom, etc) in/on the podium/lower floors that the hotel was involved in.

[ardecila]

I think the pedway bridge will just be integrated into the pedway network, providing access from the network down into the park (which currently doesn't exist).

Right now, to go from the pedway network down to the park level, you have to exit the pedway, go down to Randolph, over to Field, and down the ramp to the park. Aqua should provide several, far more direct routes.

The last time I was over exploring LSE, I was up on Harbor Drive and a couple walked over to me and asked me how to get to Navy Pier. I couldn't think of a route that wouldn't involve 20 complicated twists and turns, so I told them I didn't know.

The whole network over there needs some improvement... why not re-open the stairs on the west side of the LSD bridge, so you can get up there from the riverwalk?

[honte]

^ The connection down there had a specific side for the hotel and a specific side for the Pedway. It might just become a much wider and more pleasant Pedway experience.

[ardecila]

^ Oh, I assumed it would be like the Hyatt pedways... shared between hotel traffic and pass-through traffic.

[harryc]

From Lower N Water




From the river near LakeShoreDrive


Poking up as seen from Wells st bridge.

[Jaroslaw]

It seems they're doing the transfer floor...

[ardecila]

There aren't any transfer floors, I don't think... the building maintains a constant floorplate. They are, however, pouring a mechanical floor, which should have higher ceilings and no wavy balconies. Also, the core might be changing configuration as certain elevator shafts end.

[Saber925]

Originally Posted by ardecila

There aren't any transfer floors, I don't think... the building maintains a constant floorplate. They are, however, pouring a mechanical floor, which should have higher ceilings and no wavy balconies. Also, the core might be changing configuration as certain elevator shafts end.

There is a transfer floor... as the number of units changes from 14 per floor to 9.

[Chicago29]

Will Aqua have the same strong impact from far away as it does close up? I mean the up close shots are just breathtaking.

[PointSpecial]

Originally Posted by Chicago29

Will Aqua have the same strong impact from far away as it does close up? I mean the up close shots are just breathtaking.

I think it's still going to be neat... but I don't think it can be as cool from afar as it is up close. The thing that makes it so interesting is, of course, the contrast between the balcony and the lack of balcony from floor to floor. Up close, (i.e. looking from only a few feet a way), the details are evident and you're getting a bottom-up view... so the balconies are clearly showing. From afar, you're getting more of a side-on view and and so the balconies won't be nearly as clear.

This is my opinion, based on pictures I've seen. I haven't seen the building up close yet, personally, but that's just the impression I have from looking at it.

[chrslyp]

can anyone tell me whether they believe that fairmont had to pay magellan to get out of their contract? surely, fairmont wasn't allowed to walk away without any financial penalties, i guess it's possible, but i certainly hope not.

[Mojava]

Originally Posted by chrslyp

can anyone tell me whether they believe that fairmont had to pay magellan to get out of their contract? surely, fairmont wasn't allowed to walk away without any financial penalties, i guess it's possible, but i certainly hope not.

From the Crains story...

"The company [Strategic Hotels] estimates it will record a $36-million charge in the third quarter to cover a $28 million letter of credit backing the contract and about $8 million in planning and development costs."

I'm assuming from this that Magellan was able to keep the $28 million in deposit money.

[johnandahalf]

Originally Posted by PointSpecial

Up close, (i.e. looking from only a few feet away), the details are evident and you're getting a bottom-up view... so the balconies are clearly showing. From afar, you're getting more of a side-on view and and so the balconies won't be nearly as clear.

From a distance is where the different glazings will be most noticeable. Up close, you get to see the ripples of the slabs. From a distance, you still get a "3-D" effect from the varying window widths and the different glazings used.

This building is remarkable to me, not just because of how it looks, but also because the effect was created using one of the simplest methods available. For decades, residential buildings have had decks cantilevered out past the windows. Studio Gang barely even tweaked an existing method of design, and the result is breathtaking. You go, Gang!

Ms. Gang, if you ever feel the need to hire an untrained non-architect* skyscraper nerd, PICK ME!

ô¿ô

*...although I did grow up watching the Brady Bunch.

[NoSmallPlanner]

Originally Posted by Chicago29

Will Aqua have the same strong impact from far away as it does close up? I mean the up close shots are just breathtaking.

First, let me say that I am part of the large group here at SSP that simply loves Aqua. A surprisingly simple approach to making a building quite pleasing to the eye.

However, my own opinion after having walked by it several times is that is somewhat 'drowned' in its' placement and will not knock you out at a distance like it does when you are within a couple of blocks.

I haven't really looked at it from the actual Lakefront though - so maybe it will jump out there. However, walks by the river and near the Spire have been somewhat disappointing, again, not because the design isn't good (because it is) but simply because of the density of the area and the relative closeness of the Aon Center.

NSP

[Sir Isaac Newton]

Originally Posted by Mojava

From the Crains story...

"The company [Strategic Hotels] estimates it will record a $36-million charge in the third quarter to cover a $28 million letter of credit backing the contract and about $8 million in planning and development costs."

I'm assuming from this that Magellan was able to keep the $28 million in deposit money.

I read the same thing - that Strategic Hotels will lose its $28 million deposit, and will have to pay an additional $8 million. I also read that they had previously agreed to buy the 15 floors in Aqua for $82.4 million.

So while this currently must be a huge headache for Magellan, it's very possible that they will actually benefit from Strategic backing out. If they were able to find a hotel (perhaps M/O) to buy the 15 floors instead....even at a price much less than what Strategic had initially agreed on (let's say $60 million)....then Magellan should probably end up turning a bigger profit than they had initially expected.

Let's hope so....perhaps that will put them in better financial position to help make Arquitectonica or some other future spectacular building in LSE a reality.

[honte]

^ Yeah. Their game at this point is to see how fast they can line up another brand. If they do it fast, that's a nice little nest egg for them.

[Alliance]

Originally Posted by NoSmallPlanner

However, my own opinion after having walked by it several times is that is somewhat 'drowned' in its' placement and will not knock you out at a distance like it does when you are within a couple of blocks.

That's the entire point of the building. Gang is sick of "icon" towers that sit alone with a little pond around them and have no interaction with their environment or the urban fabric. Aqua is NOT supposed to be screaming "LOOK AT MEEEEEE" from the other end of Grant Park, its supposed to contribute to the character of its local neighborhood, which is where it really shines.

May I point out how rediculous it would be if Aqua went to to toe with AON? Its 300 feet shorter and against AON, it would lose. Aqua is supposed to contribute the the fabric of LSE, not dominate it. If every tower tried to steal the show, all you would have is a circus of a skyline (I can currently think of one GREAT example that Gang herself has critiqued). Gang knows that Aqua is not going to be the anchor tower of LSE, nor will something that is only 800 ft ever really break out of that neigborhood. Designing a banshee of a tower here would be irresponsible.

Gang is dead on with her concept.

[jjk1103]

Originally Posted by Sir Isaac Newton

I read the same thing - that Strategic Hotels will lose its $28 million deposit, and will have to pay an additional $8 million. I also read that they had previously agreed to buy the 15 floors in Aqua for $82.4 million.

So while this currently must be a huge headache for Magellan, it's very possible that they will actually benefit from Strategic backing out. If they were able to find a hotel (perhaps M/O) to buy the 15 floors instead....even at a price much less than what Strategic had initially agreed on (let's say $60 million)....then Magellan should probably end up turning a bigger profit than they had initially expected.

Let's hope so....perhaps that will put them in better financial position to help make Arquitectonica or some other future spectacular building in LSE a reality.

.......how about Waterview's Shangri La ??

[honte]

Originally Posted by jjk1103

.......how about Waterview's Shangri La ??

Now there's something terrible to consider.... I highly doubt they'd do it, however.