CHICAGO | St. Regis Chicago (Vista) | 1,191 FT | 101 FLOORS

[RedCorsair87]

Our skyline is impressive, but we need to add more height and depth from 311 Wacker to Roosevelt.

Vista is better looking than 99% of towers going up in our country.

[RedCorsair87]

Back on topic:

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/comm...er-270-million

[Skyguy_7]

^ You’d be a hoot at a gala.

Imagine the money, man-hours, ingenuity, and effort spent on this tower. It’s certainly appreciated by this grateful citizen. The bldg is a welcome addition to our cityscape.

[Halsted & Villagio]

This tower draws strong emotions - both pro and con. Every great skyline needs a few of these occasionally sprinkled in. Adds variation and dynamism. How boring it would be without towers like this one.

Btw, put me in the column that loves it!

[CityAmateur]

Originally Posted by Rooted Arborial

This building has come to represent to me the most salient characteristics of the current, embarrassingly unforgettable obsession in architectural

designs with gimmickry and pretense at the expense of the expression of integrity interwoven with a genius of economy. I do not worship at the

altar of Mies but this wiggling wall and finger and its many ilk popping up around the planet have turned the idea of "less is more" on its head.

The attitude broadcast by these googaws - designed to pander to the egos of the most pretentious and monetarily hoarding pseudo-members of

the societies which they seek to dominate - is strictly "more or less."

This building represents the costliness of rushed desperation as much as anything else. Look at me, Look at me, like the adage,

"pearls before swine" it will always need redemption from its own pretenses. Move the columns this way and that, cover them over with shallow

manipulated glass, punch a hole through it to make it less of a danger, and pretty soon you'll get Dr. Frankenstein to sign a contract!

Like so many politicos, "it depends upon what the meaning of the word 'Is' is" and, in so many cases nowadays, more has become much, much less

and the negative planetary effects continue to grow.

So, we are left with the only assessment allowed today - It could have been worse.

Agreed. ( I think! ). It's a mangy misbegotten thing that looks like it was picked up in a boot sale of scrappy scrapers somewhere in the Middle East but it does serve the function of making the Aon/2Pru buildings look classy and well designed and also it does fill out the skyline.

[intrepidDesign]

Originally Posted by Rooted Arborial

... but this wiggling wall and finger and its many ilk popping up around the planet have turned the idea of "less is more" on its head.

And is that a bad thing? There's room for more than one way of doing things. Gosh, for every person complaining about the wiggling wall scrapers going up you'll find someone else lamenting about yet another blue Meisian box. While you're magniloquence post is insightful, bordering on turgid, ultimately it's nothing more than your personal opinion.

[HiRiser]

I agree. It probably could have a home in Dubai, but not Chicago. Tacky comes to mind.

Originally Posted by Rooted Arborial

This building has come to represent to me the most salient characteristics of the current, embarrassingly unforgettable obsession in architectural

designs with gimmickry and pretense at the expense of the expression of integrity interwoven with a genius of economy. I do not worship at the

altar of Mies but this wiggling wall and finger and its many ilk popping up around the planet have turned the idea of "less is more" on its head.

The attitude broadcast by these googaws - designed to pander to the egos of the most pretentious and monetarily hoarding pseudo-members of

the societies which they seek to dominate - is strictly "more or less."

This building represents the costliness of rushed desperation as much as anything else. Look at me, Look at me, like the adage,

"pearls before swine" it will always need redemption from its own pretenses. Move the columns this way and that, cover them over with shallow

manipulated glass, punch a hole through it to make it less of a danger, and pretty soon you'll get Dr. Frankenstein to sign a contract!

Like so many politicos, "it depends upon what the meaning of the word 'Is' is" and, in so many cases nowadays, more has become much, much less

and the negative planetary effects continue to grow.

So, we are left with the only assessment allowed today - It could have been worse.

[bnk]

Rooted Arborial

Yeah your right they should have made it a tree house instead.

[Tom In Chicago]

Originally Posted by Rooted Arborial

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


Yes, I am often difficult.

Let me complicate the assessment of the building and its recent relatives farther.

Like so many ancient stelae, these contemporary expressions of the worship of the dominating power structure are part of a system which uses them

to keep us on the same path by distracting us from the fact that these islands of affluent excesses are intimately connected to the spread of

urban and environmental decay.

While celebrating the unwarranted privileges of the greediest members of society and their poverty of design sense, we are guaranteeing the

greater decline of everyone's wellness.

Imagine the improvements and jobs which could come about if the costs of these excesses in bad design had been used instead to build up those

neighborhoods which are in much greater need.

The now-former Vista and its ilk of billionaire perversity have always been vanity projects which primarily reinforce the path to greater

inequality and distraction.

Even just visually, it fails to be a positive addition to the skyline because of its self-absorbed gimmickry and shallow reflectivity.

I think you stumbled upon the wrong message board for your rant. . . but thanks for sharing. . .

. . .

[pianowizard]

Originally Posted by Rooted Arborial

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Yes, I am often difficult.....

In both of your double-spaced posts, I think you confused Vista / St. Regis with those Billionaires' Row condos in NYC. Vista's units are actually fairly affordable, for example:

$968,360, 1,126 sqft, $526 HOA fee

$984,370, 1,138 sqft, $535 HOA fee

$1,368,630, 1.994 sqft, $739 HOA fee

IMO they are designed and priced for the middle class, not billionaires or even multimillionaires.

Originally Posted by Chi-Sky21

Everybody bustin out the SAT words today....let me try. I like this building bigly....

You are the most presidential!

[rivernorthlurker]

Originally Posted by Rooted Arborial

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


Yes, I am often difficult.

Let me complicate the assessment of the building and its recent relatives farther.

Like so many ancient stelae, these contemporary expressions of the worship of the dominating power structure are part of a system which uses them

to keep us on the same path by distracting us from the fact that these islands of affluent excesses are intimately connected to the spread of

urban and environmental decay.

While celebrating the unwarranted privileges of the greediest members of society and their poverty of design sense, we are guaranteeing the

greater decline of everyone's wellness.

Imagine the improvements and jobs which could come about if the costs of these excesses in bad design had been used instead to build up those

neighborhoods which are in much greater need.

The now-former Vista and its ilk of billionaire perversity have always been vanity projects which primarily reinforce the path to greater

inequality and distraction.

Even just visually, it fails to be a positive addition to the skyline because of its self-absorbed gimmickry and shallow reflectivity.

Seriously it's just a building with a blow through floor and some ugly vents int he back - not the total deterioration of society.

[harryc]

End of the line




Ganging up.

[Skyguy_7]

^ I respectfully disagree. The frustum-filled "bump out" on Wacker is magic to the eye, not to mention the base is still a work in progress, so judgement should be reserved. Do you feel the base lacks grandeur for a tower of this size?


via Harry

[The Pimp]

Originally Posted by Rooted Arborial

I hope this will be my last comment about this building.

This building is a lesson to be learned.

After contemplating the peculiarly disappointing features of this building, I wonder if it had been designed as a single prominent tower which

arose out of a base of about 12 stories if it might have been a much more impressive (and solidly not in need of that ghastly blow-through).

If the reinforcing core which weaves the lower towers together had extended up through the tower and the widths of the North/South elevations

were approximately that of the 2d highest section the building might have been a great success.

The removal of the opposing alternating in and out of the adjacent towers would have reduced the feeling that this building is conflicting with itself.

The curving vertical flow might have been much more appealing if it had been one, wider, prominent tower arising from a base.

Of course the floor space would have been much larger in the top floors and that probably would have meant that there would be more people

sharing the elevators and THAT, I suppose, would have not appealed to the the vanity of the rich - which seems to have dictated the design.

All we can do at this point is hope that architects will be less likely in the future to let gimmickry again override good design which incorporates

integrity.

Good grief.... Please stop Monday morning quarterbacking this project. It's been criticized to DEATH! Please move on.

[CaptainJilliams]

Originally Posted by Rooted Arborial

It is interesting that in a "forum" I am accused of being slow and that I didn't "get it" because I do not agree with how this building is being promoted.

It is as if I am an infidel and that as if I am too wordy because I participate with words on a forum. Not being a part of a herd does not mean I am

the slow one.

This building is, and will continue to be, as much an eyesore as it is a creative endeavor.

If it really, truly bothers you that much, may I suggest avoiding this specific topic on the forum altogether. Just maintain your opinion and abstain from further posting on the matter.

It’s easy, painless, and ensures no unnecessary drama on the interwebs. Everyone wins.

[Chi-Sky21]

Originally Posted by Rooted Arborial

It is interesting that in a "forum" I am accused of being slow and that I didn't "get it" because I do not agree with how this building is being promoted.

It is as if I am an infidel and that as if I am too wordy because I participate with words on a forum. Not being a part of a herd does not mean I am

the slow one.

This building is, and will continue to be, as much an eyesore as it is a creative endeavor.

You are the one who criticized someone else's writing quite pointedly in imho as being wordy, or at least very picky on choice of words...sooooo...yeah , well, you know, that's just like your opinion man..

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Rooted Arborial

It is interesting that in a "forum" I am accused of being slow and that I didn't "get it" because I do not agree with how this building is being promoted.

Your reading comprehension skills are terrible.

The only thing I accused you of being "slow" on was your capability to grasp the notion that different people can have different opinions about subjective matters of taste.

If you hate the building or think it's ugly or terrible or whatever, that's just super. It ain't never gonna be any skin off my back.

[chris08876]

Credit: gabriel x. michael

[harryc]

Originally Posted by BuildThemTaller

If you live in Lakeshore East, you're not living Downtown. I know a number of people that lived there and they all said they liked it because it was quiet.

Come to think of it, I know people that live in the Loop in part because it is so quiet on the weekends (pre-COVID, of course).

Ensuring the neighborhood stays quite - and does NOT turn into a path to the lakefront !


n.b. the very constricted stairs on the right - no crowds allowed.