Originally Posted by r18tdi (Post 6758586)

Doesn't Aqua have soul-crushingly low ceilings as well?

Originally Posted by Ch.G, Ch.G (Post 6758525)

Boxes are ubiquitous in Chicago because they make sense. This isn't New York where developers can afford novel studies in form for the sole purpose of differentiating their product; and (thank God) this also (mostly) isn't Miami or Toronto where superficial flourishes are offered up as the poor man's Architecture with a capital A instead. If you're going to deviate from the box in this city, you better have a damned good reason for doing so. Hell, part of the genius of Aqua is that it embraces the box as a starting point. (And I'd argue that the majority of people who dislike Aqua fail to appreciate this fact.)

IMO, looking at what's going up in other cities, I firmly believe that bKL are among the best designers of tall buildings in the country. They understand materials; the understand details; they understand subtlety and restraint. They're one of only a few firms to successfully translate the Miesian aesthetic into the 21st Century. And considering how many pretenders to his throne have abased the glass box since its advent, I think they're playing a very valuable role in doing so.

Originally Posted by UPChicago (Post 6758941)

:rolleyes: So we are embracing the box now?

Originally Posted by Ch.G, Ch.G (Post 6758525)

Boxes are ubiquitous in Chicago because they make sense. This isn't New York where developers can afford novel studies in form for the sole purpose of differentiating their product; and (thank God) this also (mostly) isn't Miami or Toronto where superficial flourishes are offered up as the poor man's Architecture with a capital A instead. If you're going to deviate from the box in this city, you better have a damned good reason for doing so. Hell, part of the genius of Aqua is that it embraces the box as a starting point. (And I'd argue that the majority of people who dislike Aqua fail to appreciate this fact.)

IMO, looking at what's going up in other cities, I firmly believe that bKL are among the best designers of tall buildings in the country. They understand materials; the understand details; they understand subtlety and restraint. They're one of only a few firms to successfully translate the Miesian aesthetic into the 21st Century. And considering how many pretenders to his throne have abased the glass box since its advent, I think they're playing a very valuable role in doing so.

Originally Posted by Ch.G, Ch.G (Post 6758525)

Boxes are ubiquitous in Chicago because they make sense. This isn't New York where developers can afford novel studies in form for the sole purpose of differentiating their product; and (thank God) this also (mostly) isn't Miami or Toronto where superficial flourishes are offered up as the poor man's Architecture with a capital A instead. If you're going to deviate from the box in this city, you better have a damned good reason for doing so. Hell, part of the genius of Aqua is that it embraces the box as a starting point. (And I'd argue that the majority of people who dislike Aqua fail to appreciate this fact.)

IMO, looking at what's going up in other cities, I firmly believe that bKL are among the best designers of tall buildings in the country. They understand materials; the understand details; they understand subtlety and restraint. They're one of only a few firms to successfully translate the Miesian aesthetic into the 21st Century. And considering how many pretenders to his throne have abased the glass box since its advent, I think they're playing a very valuable role in doing so.

Originally Posted by Steely Dan (Post 6758950)

chicago has always embraced the box, and i would guess that it always will.

boxes are economical and efficient, that's why so many of them get built.

Originally Posted by rlw777 (Post 6759015)

To be clear my comment was not about boxy buildings in Chicago. Nor was I deriding the quality of BKL designs as is pretty clear from my assertion that the building will be well designed. Their designs are very solid and are also mostly forgettable. I'm not advocating for Miami, Dubai, or China here. But it would be nice to see bkl taking some more design risks.

Originally Posted by Steely Dan (Post 6758950)

chicago has always embraced the box

Originally Posted by UPChicago (Post 6759738)

Love it, wish you had included AON, which was one of my favorite buildings growing up.

Originally Posted by Ch.G, Ch.G (Post 6758525)

Boxes are ubiquitous in Chicago because they make sense. This isn't New York where developers can afford novel studies in form for the sole purpose of differentiating their product; and (thank God) this also (mostly) isn't Miami or Toronto where superficial flourishes are offered up as the poor man's Architecture with a capital A instead.

Originally Posted by ardecila (Post 6759938)

Funny you mention Miami... Most of bKL's work (and really most of LSE) reminds me of Arquitectonica in their more restrained moments. From what I've seen of the Site O design, it also has a certain Miami vibe - mainly in the design of balconies and the prominent white color.

Originally Posted by ardecila (Post 6760020)

No, LVDW needs to draw it on a napkin from my description!

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright (Post 6760116)

Ugh, Ok fine, what's it look like...

:P

Originally Posted by wierdaaron (Post 6760127)

"A big, floating ball that lit up with every color of the rainbow, plus some new ones that were so beautiful I fell to my knees and cried."

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright (Post 6760116)

Ugh, Ok fine, what's it look like...

:P

Originally Posted by ardecila (Post 6757787)

8'6" ceiling heights. The design is basically a slab that fills the lot, but set back 120' from Columbus.

The facade has kind of a two-face design that makes it look like Seagram Building and Citicorp Center are spooning... long continuous balconies like Coast are prominent on certain portions.

Originally Posted by 123fakestreet (Post 6760501)

Are 8-6 ceilings really that bad?