CHICAGO | The Ritz-Carlton Residences | 495 FT / 151 M | 40 FLOORS | COM

[Chicago Shawn]

Originally Posted by spyguy

Installation of lovely precast panels is set to begin next month

Source: Ritz Residences blog

Once again, LaGrange screws up a seemingly simple historic detail. The horizontal spandrels are too big. The spandrels should only be as wide as the window opening. It looks more like a lintel, and these asymmetrical "lintels" just look goofey. I can't think of a single place where I have seen it done in this fashion, probably because a high-rise doesn't use load bearing lintels, and a smaller building would have a symmetrical set up because the lintel would need to bear weight on both ends.

If your going to copy history, at least make an attempt to do it right. I have very low expectations for this building.

[harryc]

Originally Posted by Chicago Shawn

Once again, LaGrange screws up a seemingly simple historic detail. The horizontal spandrels are too big. The spandrels should only be as wide as the window opening. It looks more like a lintel, and these asymmetrical "lintels" just look goofey. I can't think of a single place where I have seen it done in this fashion, probably because a high-rise doesn't use load bearing lintels, and a smaller building would have a symmetrical set up because the lintel would need to bear weight on both ends.

If your going to copy history, at least make an attempt to do it right. I have very low expectations for this building.

Thank you Shawn - you explain concisely what I only felt vaguely.

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ Yeah I knew something looked funny about that, I didn't notice that the middle was like 4 times wider than it should be. Screw LaGrange, I take back the decent things I said about this building.

[J_M_Tungsten]

Flip flop!

[RobertWalpole]

I always liked the reddish stone building, but now it seems like its great vantagepoint -- the south facade -- will be blocked. That's a shame.

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ The Omni is one of the few POMO works that I actually like. Its not trying to be historicist and instead takes a cartoonish snapshot of over blown historical geometries and combines them with excellent details and materials for what I see as a very nice final product. There aren't a whole lot of POMO buildings in Chicago that take this cartoonish route and I am glad we have Omni to stand out among the trashy jokes that populate River North as a solid example of true Post Modernism.

[george]

9-13

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by Chicago Shawn

Once again, LaGrange screws up a seemingly simple historic detail. The horizontal spandrels are too big. The spandrels should only be as wide as the window opening. It looks more like a lintel, and these asymmetrical "lintels" just look goofey. I can't think of a single place where I have seen it done in this fashion, probably because a high-rise doesn't use load bearing lintels, and a smaller building would have a symmetrical set up because the lintel would need to bear weight on both ends.

If your going to copy history, at least make an attempt to do it right. I have very low expectations for this building.

Very odd looking detail.


BTW, you can see how they are really cruising on this.

[ChicagoChicago]

Originally Posted by Chicago Shawn

Once again, LaGrange screws up a seemingly simple historic detail. The horizontal spandrels are too big. The spandrels should only be as wide as the window opening. It looks more like a lintel, and these asymmetrical "lintels" just look goofey. I can't think of a single place where I have seen it done in this fashion, probably because a high-rise doesn't use load bearing lintels, and a smaller building would have a symmetrical set up because the lintel would need to bear weight on both ends.

If your going to copy history, at least make an attempt to do it right. I have very low expectations for this building.

Posts like these are why many read these forums. It offers us amateurs a glimpse at the the "why" behind architecture.

[harryc]

Full Set

As seen from the friendly Crate and Barrel in the cool building.


Some things still need to be done by hand.




Skywalker


Room with a view

[george]

9-21

[george]

9-28

[spyguy]

[patriotizzy]

This things is going to be huge! I hope the final product lives up to the renders.

[Rizzo]

Another floor to go before the setback where the former Farwell building roof slopes back...unless the floors don't line up.

[george]

10-7

[Rizzo]

10/17



Notice they are up to where the mansard roof on the Farwell was. Please don't mess this Mansard up.

[denizen467]

^ How - because they are pouring the northern portion but not the southern? Or from the columns being slender and set back?

I wonder whether the facade windows will line up with the floors properly, or whether some Farwell windows will look into the slab? Also, in case no one has mentioned it before, the 6th Floor looks like it might be double-height (hard to tell). Isn't that supposed to be parking?

Maybe most curiously, I don't remember seeing any evidence of any ramps in the photos so far. Normally they would eat up a lot of the floorplate in a small footprint building like this. Are they going to be using an elevator or something? Or do all residents get a complimentary flying electric car with their assessment?

[Rizzo]

Well you can see the setbacks at the top on the south elevation....just sayin' they reached the top level to where the Mansard begins. It was a jab towards the Elysian you know... If you count the floors, they match the Farwell perfectly, which gives me faith that this won't be like McGraw Hill - North Bridge place. By comparing old photos of the Farwell building...its window locations in relationship to the building next door, the floor slabs will in fact be nearly or almost exactly at the same elevations of the original building, except for maybe 8 & 9 which seem a bit tall. So I'm 99.9% positive the windows will be authentic and the floors will line up close to the original.

As for the garage, I haven't seen any sloping floors, so there might be an elevator. In fact the floor plans show a large core at the back with a hollow space that could easily fit an oversized SUV. It's also angled strategically to allow easy pull in at ground level and drive-out to the parking levels. It makes complete sense. Many of the condo towers in my hood don't have sloping floors in the garages, they simply use car elevators. They'll probably have valet to operate it. But, a clear shot from the back may prove me wrong. And I wonder what is going on with those offset, thicker beams on the south side of it.

When the webcam goes daytime, maybe we'll have a better idea.

[george]

There will be vehicle elevators, refer to VivaLFuego's post #13. The website floor plans show it all.

http://www.lucienlagrange.com/portfo...on_residences/