CHICAGO | Boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v5

[honte]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

It's not atrocious. It's an improvement over the other K Station towers.

Yes, agreed, huge improvement.... possibly bringing it into the "acceptable" category.

Reminds me a lot of the Burnham Pointe, maybe crossed with The Clare.

[spyguy]

That new K Station tower isn't that bad, especially in comparison to the other three towers.

[nomarandlee]

The new K station looks like a Pritzker Prize winner compared to its brethern. Build it.

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Good find. This tower (heretofore I think generally dubbed "360 N. Union") will provide a rather impressive termination of the view corridor driving north on I-90/94. This will be a very visible tower from the south, north, and west, so I'm especially curious to see the south side of it. The architecture is rather inoffensive: somewhat bland but not ugly, and certainly less oppressive than the poured concrete neighbors - as already noted by everyone else. Looks like a Viagrafied version of the nearby R+D659 tower, somewhat. Different architect?

I stopped by the new Jewel for the development last week. Very nice store. This area is really coming together, 5-10 years from now upon full build-out and occupancy this will be a very vibrant brand new neighborhood.

[Alliance]

Thank God K station is putting up something visually distinct and not another aimless concrete blight. Looks like they took a page from SCB (not that it was original to them anyway) on some of the window layouts. I just hope that base is NOT a concrete block.

Originally Posted by Ch.G, Ch.G

First you criticize the the sidewalks as "aimless," then you condemn them as underwhelming in their purposefulness? Why don't you get back to us when there's some consistency in your argument.

I know you're inclined to exaggerate, but do you ever stop and listen to yourself sometimes?

I know you're inclined to exaggerate, but do you ever stop and listen to yourself sometimes? Maybe if you didn't exaggerate others opinions...it wouldn't come back. I really only like exaggerating my opinions, because sometimes good discussion come out of it. Though when you mischaracterize my opinions and then complain when I do the same, hopeless banter ensues.

Seriously. I say the sidewalks are aimless and the other elements of the park seem to not be laid out well and are UNDERDEVELOPED. And you accuse me of advocating a strictly utilitarian park? I never said that word. I never criticized the sidewalks as "underwhelming," I criticized the PARK as "underwhelming." I said that aimless junk strewn about to scream "DIFFERENT!" isn't valid approach to design. Parks are more than just a big grassy area to shortcut across. Sidewalks included or not. Both flat space and stupid pick-up-sticks sidewalk designs are wrong. None of my statements are incongruous. Parks need design which is something that I find this park lacks from a few simple pictures on the internet.

So, can we be done now?

[honte]

Originally Posted by Alliance

... Both flat space and stupid pick-up-sticks sidewalk designs are wrong. None of my statements are incongruous. Parks need design which is something that I find this park lacks from a few simple pictures on the internet.

So, can we be done now?

As you suggest, you really need to visit it in person. First, it's not flat. Second, wait a year or so for it to begin to mature into a full park before you make your final decision.

I agree with you that a "pick up sticks" approcah would be wrong, but really, do you know that's all there is to it? Maybe you should wait until you know what the design intent was before you just decide at random that there is nothing behind the design.

For me, I'm glad foremost that we have a modern park without any historical trappings. We could use a lot more of those around town. We've built many, many parks lately (small ones) and virtually none of them are interesting in any way.

[cbotnyse]

Originally Posted by honte

For me, I'm glad foremost that we have a modern park without any historical trappings. We could use a lot more of those around town. We've built many, many parks lately (small ones) and virtually none of them are interesting in any way.

I'm with you on that. Of course Alliance will say "aimless junk strewn about to scream "DIFFERENT!" . This design could have been a lot worse.

Central Park has miles of aimless, skewed paths, is that trying to be different?

As a resident of the neighborhood, I am very grateful to have a nice park in the area with plenty of green, open space. To be quite honest I couldn't care less what direction the damn paths run. We are talking about a fairly small area to even bother discussing it.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

Looks like a Viagrafied version of the nearby R+D659 tower, somewhat. Different architect?

R+D659 is Brininstool + Lynch. This new K Station tower is still designed by Pappageorge/Haymes, although they are taking a different aesthetic for this western half.

Originally Posted by denizen467

The K Station leasing office has a rather good, i.e. architect's-office-quality, model of all of K Station - it includes this as well as a twin tower just south of it, though offset slightly westwards. (The complex does not extend so far south as to cover the Metra/Amtrak tracks.) (In other words, it would effectively be covering all the sky in the right side of the above image.)

In between the two towers is a trench, with a couple of pedestrian bridges connecting the two tower podiums, and the trench is labelled "Future Rail Line". The position of this trench would suggest the rail line extends eastwards right under the Jewel and then right under the K Station park (unless it is supposed to curve somewhere). Wish I could post an image rather than use just words, but this is the gist of it.

There's a poor-quality site plan on P/H's website that shows some of the things you're talking about. I can't really make out the notes on it though, it's too blurry.

[Tom Servo]

Originally Posted by Alliance

Thank God K station is putting up something visually distinct and not another aimless concrete blight. Looks like they took a page from SCB (not that it was original to them anyway) on some of the window layouts. I just hope that base is NOT a concrete block.



I know you're inclined to exaggerate, but do you ever stop and listen to yourself sometimes? Maybe if you didn't exaggerate others opinions...it wouldn't come back. I really only like exaggerating my opinions, because sometimes good discussion come out of it. Though when you mischaracterize my opinions and then complain when I do the same, hopeless banter ensues.

Seriously. I say the sidewalks are aimless and the other elements of the park seem to not be laid out well and are UNDERDEVELOPED. And you accuse me of advocating a strictly utilitarian park? I never said that word. I never criticized the sidewalks as "underwhelming," I criticized the PARK as "underwhelming." I said that aimless junk strewn about to scream "DIFFERENT!" isn't valid approach to design. Parks are more than just a big grassy area to shortcut across. Sidewalks included or not. Both flat space and stupid pick-up-sticks sidewalk designs are wrong. None of my statements are incongruous. Parks need design which is something that I find this park lacks from a few simple pictures on the internet.

So, can we be done now?

oh my god... i can't stop laughing! i would absolutely love to experience the reaction of the architects after you offered... um... your critique...
and what's really great is you made all these assumptive assessments based on a picture, not even accompanied with any description or statement or anything... wow.

Originally Posted by honte

I agree with you that a "pick up sticks" approach would be wrong, but really, do you know that's all there is to it? Maybe you should wait until you know what the design intent was before you just decide at random that there is nothing behind the design.

but why would a person form a rational opinion about something when they could just whimsically make pseudo-intellectual judgments about it?




...about the new building...
i think you guys are either getting too exited about a glossy rendering or have been jaded so badly by the awful-ness of p/h that this tower is ok by comparison... maybe neither... but as much as i welcome the change from the typical p/h tan-fest and would love it to be more characteristic of a brininstool + lynch building, i can't really say that i see too much of a change here from the p/h formula... though at least it's painted white rather than tan...

[Alliance]

Originally Posted by AdrianXSands

i think you guys are either getting too exited about a glossy rendering or have been jaded so badly by the awful-ness of p/h that this tower is ok by comparison... maybe neither... but as much as i welcome the change from the typical p/h tan-fest and would love it to be more characteristic of a brininstool + lynch building, i can't really say that i see too much of a change here from the p/h formula... though at least it's painted white rather than tan...

Re:

Originally Posted by AdrianXSands

...and what's really great is you made all these assumptive assessments based on a picture, not even accompanied with any description or statement or anything... wow.

btw, fly me back home and cover my day off and I'd be happy to walk the park with you

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by AdrianXSands

i think you guys are either getting too exited about a glossy rendering or have been jaded so badly by the awful-ness of p/h that this tower is ok by comparison... maybe neither... but as much as i welcome the change from the typical p/h tan-fest and would love it to be more characteristic of a brininstool + lynch building, i can't really say that i see too much of a change here from the p/h formula... though at least it's painted white rather than tan...

Speaking of P/H, does anyone know the status of the "Lakeview Station" project at Sheridan/Irving? Their tower had a decent design, but we haven't heard anything about the project in probably a year or more. I know it got PD approval, but there's been no word on any progress whatsoever. Is it dead, or just lurking until the market improves, or...?

[Nowhereman1280]

Originally Posted by AdrianXSands

...about the new building...
i think you guys are either getting too exited about a glossy rendering or have been jaded so badly by the awful-ness of p/h that this tower is ok by comparison... maybe neither... but as much as i welcome the change from the typical p/h tan-fest and would love it to be more characteristic of a brininstool + lynch building, i can't really say that i see too much of a change here from the p/h formula... though at least it's painted white rather than tan...

Well I think that has been the general consensus on here, its not great by any means, but at least it doesn't suck as hard as the other vertical turds they have been building. At least being glass it won't have cracks all over it in 20 years...

[jc5680]

2520 10.14

Demolition continues at a snails pace, but is daily.

[jcchii]

another one I am wondering about is the Lake St. tower right on the L.

the parking lot came down and then nothing

[BVictor1]

Wow!

Who knew that one little photo taken from 23-stories up would cause such a discussion?

[Chicago Shawn]

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

Good find. This tower (heretofore I think generally dubbed "360 N. Union") will provide a rather impressive termination of the view corridor driving north on I-90/94. This will be a very visible tower from the south, north, and west, so I'm especially curious to see the south side of it. The architecture is rather inoffensive: somewhat bland but not ugly, and certainly less oppressive than the poured concrete neighbors - as already noted by everyone else. Looks like a Viagrafied version of the nearby R+D659 tower, somewhat. Different architect?

I stopped by the new Jewel for the development last week. Very nice store. This area is really coming together, 5-10 years from now upon full build-out and occupancy this will be a very vibrant brand new neighborhood.

Believe me, this is 10 times better than what was originally planned. I saw the old rendering which was a slabbed out Echelon, think love child of Echelon and One Superior Place. Yeah, that bad.

The verity here will hopefully cause contrast and reflections with the painted concrete schlock, and therefore will contextually as a whole neighborhood not be so visually sterile and bleak. This will only help the development.

BTW, that "new" rail line mentioned is a right of way being preserved for High Speed Rail which would begin its decent in K Station and into the West Loop Transportation Center. This is also why the Jewel took so long to open, the parking structure had to be redesigned to allow for the easement and vertical clearance on that ROW.

[denizen467]

Originally Posted by Chicago Shawn

BTW, that "new" rail line mentioned is a right of way being preserved for High Speed Rail which would begin its decent in K Station and into the West Loop Transportation Center. This is also why the Jewel took so long to open, the parking structure had to be redesigned to allow for the easement and vertical clearance on that ROW.

Now where the heck was the WLTC supposed to go anyway - underneath Clinton? somehow adjacent to Ogilvie/Union? Or was it a totally distinct block / partial-block development? And has any of that changed, now that the K Station site usage has been finalized?

[honte]

Miglin hotel project hit with foreclosure suit
By Alby Gallun, Oct. 15, 2008

http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=31402

(Crain’s) — Three months after construction stopped on his 216-room hotel in River North, developer Duke Miglin is facing a foreclosure lawsuit demanding that he and his partner in the project pay back $19.8 million.

Construction has stopped on a planned Staybridge Suites in River North. CapitalSource Finance LLC says a joint venture including Mr. Miglin has defaulted on a construction loan because it failed to put up an additional $5.9 million to finance the project as required under a loan agreement.


...

[cityofblindinglights]

silver tower etc.




and just for fun... i was bored

[Northwest]

Originally Posted by cityofblindinglights

and just for fun... i was bored

Very cool. It actually brings out the form of the architecture in a very obvious way.