March 10, 2020

Solar, that 4th shot is awesome. Looks like LSD finally got that 20 lane expansion it badly needed. Lol.

Glass up on whatever this appendage is on the north side of the site

Strange considering parcel I will get built there and I don't see anything like that in the plans or renderings.

Maybe they know that it won’t get built

I hope not, the design of the tower is too good to waste and we already lost enough with 400LSD, would be a damn shame if shelved. I hope that glass is just part of them building but we don't see it in the renderings.

^ That "spine" is required for trucks at ground level to access the loading dock for the 3 new buildings off of Lower Wacker. Residents will get to the parking garage from Harbor Drive or Westshore Drive, but you don't want trucks coming that way.

Not sure why the upper levels of the "spine" are getting glass, there are cheaper ways to do temporary walls (steel frame + densglass, or masonry). Maybe those spaces will be used as model units for the sales team until Parcel I is built, and then they will be incorporated into that building's parking podium. That little side structure definitely appears to be a "balcony"...

I was told that the contractor will be using these spaces as temporary construction offices... quite an upgrade from your typical trailer!

So it looks like that giant blank wall on the building next door will never be covered up at this point. Thats a damn shame.

You mean the Chandler? Yeah they gave up on covering that wall when Goettsch switched the site plan to freestanding towers. Maybe we'll get a mural or a green wall or something, but anything would have to be approved by that building's condo association so I doubt it.

That makes sense, I guess... way more space than you'd need for model units. I can't imagine they'd go to the expense of glazing that whole wall with storefront just for construction offices when you could just frame a quick wall and drop in some Home Depot vinyl windows for daylighting. Then again, Lendlease is driving the bus on this project and they seem to take a different perspective on some of these decisions than the local developers... maybe they figure the penny-pinching isn't worth it for a wall that's gonna be visible for 4-5 years possibly or longer.

March 20

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

IIRC the alderman insisted on the mesh covering for the protected walkway - I can see the safety benefit.
Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

This site is massive. You can even see it from the trail fairly easily now. Great shots.

loving the night shots harry, glad to see you're practicing social distancing :D

I actually DROVE downtown - my social distance engineer ....

The Photo Mascot by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

i love it!

Lol Harry, I wouldn't try him...

So is construction on hold on any big sites ?

;)


Due to size, see spoiler. Aerial of this parcel.

Awesome. You can really see their shape. That shots just got me craving the north parcel tower.

Whats gonna happen with that sliver of land to the left?...kinda sandwiched in between this construction and whatever that other building is called?...perhaps some type of sculpture park or patch of grass after they tie the platform into it to raise it up

There is an alley - access to parking/shipping for the two towers to the south (L). Next to it (R) is a 10'(?) wide strip that will probably bee for the same type of access, it's a big podium.

Some sort of alternate (boxy) proposal: https://www.wightco.com/work/lake-shore-east/

Glad we are getting what we're getting.

seeing this makes me like the current design so much better

The boxy design might be worse if we're judging these designs without context. But if you recognize how messy the lines and surfaces are of the buildings along Wacker from Vista to the lake, the boxy design acts as a palette cleanser. The current design only amplifies the messiness.

March 30









Maintaining social distance


skipping down the sidewalk

I mean, that is a Dirk Lohan design so it's not exactly some bush-league architect. Ironic as his former partner Jim Goettsch ended up getting the job.

I like the Lohan towers themselves, it's a nice evolution of his grandfather's work for the 21st century but the siteplan on the Goettsch proposal is just so much better. The flow of pedestrians from LSE to the lakefront, and from upper level to ground level, dictated the site plan rather then trying to squeeze rectangular towers in. And the angled orientation of the towers is a nice change of pace from the rigid gridiron in the rest of LSE.

I believe the towers under construction aren't Goettsch, but Tom Kerwin (bKL). Or are we talking about something else?

Is this a real development? https://www.wightco.com/work/629-w-lake-street/

OT but I believe that parcel was for sale recently.

Yeah no, brain fart. Sorry.

Fast Track? Say it ain't so! :( For a city that prides itself on hot dog stands, there are surprisingly few of them downtown.

The tower is cool but based on the footprint it will likely require special approval for a scissor stair... doesn't look like they have room to do two separate stairs there.

Meh. Dirk's certainly not his grandfather, that's for sure.

Great way to take a selfie :tup:

April 9

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Where the shear wall meets the core
Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr


Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

MASSIVE climbing framework looks taller than what they had for vista

April 16
 

Nice!

This site is a monster, although is it just me or does the site for Parcel I look really small? I guess it is a narrow tower.

Perspective - the podium in the forground is at 3 floors - the roadway the other side of the lot is only 2 levels at this point, and LSD is closer to 4 floors up.

Anyone know the actual addresses for these buildings? (i.e., what addresses are on the building permits)

Never mind. Cirrus = 211 N Harbor Dr; Cascade = 455 E Waterside Dr. Google is hard.

April 19

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr


A future site entrance ? or simply a very well protected turn-around ?
Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

I suspect the latter. . . there will be a building entrance there that shares the turnaround with the Chandler, but I don't think they're going to use it for loading material during construction. . .

. . .

April 24

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Those shots are awesome. Thanks Harry. Hope your pup is enjoying getting out the house. When should we assume little crane coming down? Getting close.

April 30

May 3

Seen while on LSD
Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

May 7

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

May 13

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

They might be giants.
Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Cirrus and Cascade by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

And then there were none....of those hideous walls. Harry love the tmbg reference. My niece loves hotdoggin.

May 16
 

Great shots - really shows the progress.

Thanks! Your shots are amazing as well. I wish I had started taking some pics a little earlier but I'll try to post one every month. I'm excited to see how these turn out