Got it, thanks Steely!

I wonder if Chase cares about topping their existing 850 foot tower in Chicago, that would be nice.

I guess that rumor of a 98 story building either had nothing to do with Chase or was just a bunch of BS.

Didn't know that, is there a limit?



At the end of the day it would be really nice to see this lot filled, I liked the original design for this tower, even if only 750'. The newer one is super bland and lame. Value engineering makes sense from a financial perspective but let's not lose our minds.

Part of the reason for looking into a new building according to the articles is to "keep up with the Joneses" i.e. B of A and BMO getting new towers and not wanting to be outdone. Plus the building is from the late 60s.

Building is from the late 60s but i would take it over any of the others in a heart beat. Not sure "keeping up" is valid in my book. They already have the prize, maybe a major rehab and redo the plaza instead.

^ yeah, I can't think of a major Chicago office tower built in the last 40 years that I would take over Chase Tower. It's sublime.

https://images.skyscrapercenter.com/...-w-cahill4.jpg
Source: https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/bui...hase-tower/779

^^^ Your photo captures Chase's elegant south face which (like the north) is indeed great. Unfortunately the slimmer west and east faces are plug-ugly and very visible from many angles. :(

^ the elevator cores on the east and west facades are fine. Form folllows function. It's an absolutely stellar building, IMO.

https://images.skyscrapercenter.com/...viewup2_aw.jpg

Who doesn't like the Atari building?

It's an office building, which means how it functions for work inside is very, very important. Keep that in mind too. Chase does float "we need a new Chicago tower" every once in awhile too.

We're getting OT here, but I remember hearing someone say once that the executive suites at Chase Tower was on like the 16th floor because that the highest floor a hook-and-ladder fire truck could still reach. Does anyone know if that's true, or just a Chicago architecture urban legend?

In the situation where a hook-and-ladder truck is required for evacuation, what are the people supposed to do on the 17th floor and upwards? If this were true, then the building would be capped at only 16 stories. Fire codes don't prioritize executives over other building occupants.

Highrises rely on redundant and heavily armored/smokeproofed stairwells to ensure that everybody can escape in the event of a fire. They also rely on sprinkler systems to ensure that a small fire does not turn into a large one that threatens lives. Because of these things, highrise fires are very rare so the system works well.

There may be other reasons that the executives are on the 16th floor - since the tower tapers, the executives might need to be on that floor to get the space they require on a larger floorplate. Non-tapering towers don't have this problem, because most floorplates are basically the same size all the way up. I could also see a situation where an Assembly occupancy (auditorium, conference center, etc) would be limited to lower floors, since these often require more than two stairwells based on the sheer volume of people and a ladder evac might be required to supplement the stairs.

I'm not saying it was the result of any codes of regulations. I would image it was one of the big wigs wanting the peace of mind knowing that they could be rescued if the stairs were cut off. Maybe it was a selling point for the C suite who wondered why they didn't get the best views? Or perhaps it's total bullshit. :tup:

Again, a very flattering photo taking in the entire building as it sweeps upwards (great perspective), but if you aren't on the ground right next to it, from about the 20th floor on it looks like a concrete slab with a couple vertical rows of non-descript rectangular (so not entirely non-descript :)) windows in the sky. I suspect most people on the west and east of it are catching that view rather than the one presented in the picture. I do think the building is truly lyric from the "right" angles which is why it pisses me off that it's absolutely deadening from others. Form following the function of an elevator shaft doesn't do it for me.

Having worked for the government internationally, we had to do trainings that included the requirement that we did not get hotel rooms above a particular floor (I forget which one...I thought it was around 10 floors) precisely for this reason (i.e., fires caused by lobby bomb blasts).

I think this whole block is a masterpiece of design. Not only for the tower, but the sunken plaza, the out buildings, etc. They should brink back the restaurant on the lower level that used to use the access point at the southeast corner of this block (currently atm's)...

as far as the criticism above, much of that could be applied to Aqua as well...

I really like the feeling of the block as well--the kickass fountain in the sunken plaza, the Chagall mural... Good stuff. Just a couple disappointing (and very unavoidable from a distance) vantagepoints that could have been anticipated. Yes, you can absolutely same the same about Aqua--its flaws are most visible at a distance.

IMO, you overstate this "deadening" effect of the east and west facades. Form follows function does it for me in this case. This is hardly some lamentable blight on the city's skyline in my eyes.

https://images.skyscrapercenter.com/building/ch0024.jpg
Source: https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/bui...hase-tower/779

But you seem pretty hung up on it, so probably time for us to to agree to disagree. If you can think of a better major office tower built in Chicago post-1980, I'm all ears.

Fun fact found in looking deeper into this building: it was the 6th tallest skyscraper on the entire freaking planet back when it was built in 1969!

i've always loved the Chase, especially since it still really stood out back in the 70s when we would visit Chicago. it's bold and timeless.

in fact, when the Index was built in Dubai, it immediately made me think of the Chase, which is probably why i like it, as well.

https://www.emporis.com/images/show/...-undefined.jpg
source

This building was really wild for 1969. Totally different world and city.

For context. Chicago in 1969.

(a little OT but there's been no real news for this building lately so I think it's fine lol)

Also holy crap Marina City Towers are turning 60!

https://i.imgur.com/uwqsszE.png