CHICAGO | One Bennett Park | 837 FT | 68 FLOORS

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by spyguy

^Is that true though? Based on the renderings and various previous diagrams/drawings, the sidewalk is clearly on the perimeter and what seems like an arcade is just hiding the lobby and motor court(s). But I could be wrong.

Early plans called for a continuous arcade along the Peshtigo side, half of which would be a motor court and the other half open for pedestrians only.

More recent version removed the pedestrian section of the arcade. The character of this is retained in the two motor courts, however (vaulted ceilings, pendants, granite pavers, etc). If the motor courts are anything like the ones elsewhere, they will be just as much pedestrian space as vehicular, especially since the condo and apartment towers don't have separate pedestrian entrances to the sidewalk.

[pilsenarch]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

... the comment about no materials aging well in Chicago is simply not true. In fact, many of the nicer mid century skyscrapers in Chicago have aged incredibly well, in some cases with next to no upkeep. Just look at how great Mies' works still look. The 860-880 LSD, Crown Hall, IBM Building, they all look like they could have been built yesterday.

Stone and masonry also hold up well here, they just require regular maintenance to keep the water out of them. The winters are hard on most materials, but it's certainly a "some more than others" prospect.

All of the Mies buildings you listed (with the possible exception of IBM) and also including Mies' Post Office have gone through extremely expensive restorations of their exterior envelopes... particularly with exterior steel framing glazing...

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by pilsenarch

All of the Mies buildings you listed (with the possible exception of IBM) and also including Mies' Post Office have gone through extremely expensive restorations of their exterior envelopes... particularly with exterior steel framing glazing...

False, these renovations are anything but "extremely expensive" and are really just typical maintenance that all buildings go through regardless of climate. One can hardly blame cracked glass, rusting steel, and deteriorated rubber on winter weather. It's not as if someone has been salting these building's facade's...

Crown hall cost $3.8 million to renovate which is probably the closest to "extremely expensive" any of these renovations come. Of course Crown Hall's work also included all new building systems and other interior updates, hardly pricey for a historic restoration.

860-880 LSD cost a whopping $9 million to overhaul. That's hardly even a blip on the radar for a 50 year overhaul of a complex that is probably worth in excess of $100 million. And that's for Mies buildings which tend to be more expensive to renovate since there is an insistence on absolute restoration of all details (i.e. you are buying materials like travertine and cutting every piece of replacement steel to exact specs, not exactly cheap to begin with).

Modernist buildings simply tend to be extremely cheap to maintain compared to older styles. The earlier steel framed Mies buildings like 860-880 and Crown Hall are actually more expensive than his later anodized aluminium facades like IBM Building which cost only $24 million for a complete overhaul inside and out. Considering Langham paid $46 million for only 12 of the 52 floors of this building, I'd say that's a steal... The building is probably now worth something approaching $300 million...

[SamInTheLoop]

^ Last sentence: I'd bet the office space alone might be valued north of $250 million. And as for The Langham, its valuation should be one of the highest per key in Chicago.....

[untitledreality]

Originally Posted by Tom Servo

Hah, nice...
The actual building turned out far less cartoonishly yellow than that rendering.

Oh, but it did.

Originally Posted by harryc

Chicago/LaSalle - today

[pilsenarch]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

False, these renovations are anything but "extremely expensive" and are really just typical maintenance that all buildings go through regardless of climate. One can hardly blame cracked glass, rusting steel, and deteriorated rubber on winter weather. It's not as if someone has been salting these building's facade's...

Crown hall cost $3.8 million to renovate which is probably the closest to "extremely expensive" any of these renovations come. Of course Crown Hall's work also included all new building systems and other interior updates, hardly pricey for a historic restoration.

860-880 LSD cost a whopping $9 million to overhaul. That's hardly even a blip on the radar for a 50 year overhaul of a complex that is probably worth in excess of $100 million. And that's for Mies buildings which tend to be more expensive to renovate since there is an insistence on absolute restoration of all details (i.e. you are buying materials like travertine and cutting every piece of replacement steel to exact specs, not exactly cheap to begin with).

Modernist buildings simply tend to be extremely cheap to maintain compared to older styles. The earlier steel framed Mies buildings like 860-880 and Crown Hall are actually more expensive than his later anodized aluminium facades like IBM Building which cost only $24 million for a complete overhaul inside and out. Considering Langham paid $46 million for only 12 of the 52 floors of this building, I'd say that's a steal... The building is probably now worth something approaching $300 million...

Context? How many other condo buildings spent more?

[photoLith]

I like it but Im not getting my hopes up.

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by sentinel

One thing is for sure, it's definitely a leap forward from AMLI's River North highrise nonsense of the same design vein. At least RAMSA knows how to terminate the top of a building like this, unlike Lagrange, with those weird shriner's hat metal POS.

Spyguy, do you have a larger version of this rendering, possibly showing the detailing a little better?

I actually agree that if - and it's a big, big IF - as LVDW and others have pointed out! - this tower turns out to actually look like these latest renderings, then it will be better than AMLI and the typical Lagrange nonsense. Now, keep in mind, this is quite the lowly standard, and it certainly does not imply by any means that the final product would be considered good or even merely average in any objective absolute sense - this is prospective, and relative to even lesser trash.....

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by pilsenarch

Context? How many other condo buildings spent more?

It being a condo building is irrelevant here. The Wrigley Building renovation that just wrapped up cost approximately $70 million and it's only a slightly larger building. It was also a similar 50-year update. It's actually a decent comp because both were historically sensitive projects. The IBM Building renovation was 1/3 the cost of the Wrigley renovation and it is a MUCH larger building... Anodized aluminium, steel, and glass are simply much hardier materials than masonry, I don't think you'd find a single contractor who disagrees...

[Ned.B]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

It being a condo building is irrelevant here. The Wrigley Building renovation that just wrapped up cost approximately $70 million and it's only a slightly larger building. It was also a similar 50-year update. It's actually a decent comp because both were historically sensitive projects. The IBM Building renovation was 1/3 the cost of the Wrigley renovation and it is a MUCH larger building... Anodized aluminium, steel, and glass are simply much hardier materials than masonry, I don't think you'd find a single contractor who disagrees...

I don't know if that is a great comparison. Aside from the first couple floors, there was little exterior work on the terracotta. And what work was done was very expensive because it was all custom.

It's hard to compare the cost of two new lobbies, tenant floor renovations, and complete reconstruction of the plaza, new bronze storefront that never existed before, all new windows (which were replaced because the old ones were lime green aluminum, not because they were in disrepair) reconstructing part of the plaza facade because the previous owners had removed entirely, and some minor exterior maintenance at Wrigley to whatever work was done at IBM.

All that said, I'm not sure what the real argument is here. Sure modern buildings can be cheaper to maintain than all masonry buildings, but what does that have to do with the precast and aluminum building that we have in front of us?

[pilsenarch]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

It being a condo building is irrelevant here. The Wrigley Building renovation that just wrapped up cost approximately $70 million and it's only a slightly larger building. It was also a similar 50-year update. It's actually a decent comp because both were historically sensitive projects. The IBM Building renovation was 1/3 the cost of the Wrigley renovation and it is a MUCH larger building... Anodized aluminium, steel, and glass are simply much hardier materials than masonry, I don't think you'd find a single contractor who disagrees...

every contractor would disagree with regard to steel

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

I actually agree that if - and it's a big, big IF - as LVDW and others have pointed out! - this tower turns out to actually look like these latest renderings, then it will be better than AMLI and the typical Lagrange nonsense. Now, keep in mind, this is quite the lowly standard, and it certainly does not imply by any means that the final product would be considered good or even merely average in any objective absolute sense - this is prospective, and relative to even lesser trash.....

[SamInTheLoop]

Very nice selection, btw

[rlw777]

^^ lol I'll add to that

[whiteford]

the extra height on the west side of the tower kinda throws it off. regardless, the tower is beautiful just the same. wish calgary would get something like this.

[munchymunch]

http://www.grecstudio.com/projects/east-grand-ave.html

[Notyrview]

Just gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. A stunner. A shocker. A whirling dervish of beige droppings.

[Zapatan]

Nice!

[wierdaaron]

Man that mini maggie daley park is so weird. Do they think there's enough people over there who would use it? Seems incongruous with the building itself.

[Swicago Swi Sox]

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

Man that mini maggie daley park is so weird. Do they think there's enough people over there who would use it? Seems incongruous with the building itself.

I like the park. I live in the area and the problem with the current park is that the parking garage underneath it causes it to need to rise to from the side walk. Combine that with no fence, and fast cars going to Lake Shore Drive along Illinois and Grand, and it feels like you are up on a stage surrounded by cars. I like that they have inclued some berms along the edges to make it feel for secluded and protected.

In addition, the current "dog park" is just a chain link fence with gravel that spills everywhere. If the new dog park is nice, similar to Lakeshore East, then this will really be used. It will also keep residents from just taking their dogs out on the lawn next to the gravel pit they are supposed to use.