I'm pretty sure that at one point Mott was scheduled to come down. To call it "Undistinguished" is giving it more credit that it deserves, and it has been neglected for years.

It's very Stephen Holl-esque. I like it a lot.

^ Oh sweet. Thanks spy guy for posting.

Was thinking the same thing. I dig it. Caaaaaaannnnnnn yyooooooouuuuu diiiigggggggiiitttt?

In the right context, this building makes sense. But I can't see any way that it references the University of Chicago campus. The 4th photo is more neutral but, alas, bland. Unfortunately I decree that this building is an abomination, second only to the Max Palevsky dorm, and must not be built on campus. Time to start letter writing campaign... Cheers and Merry Christmas!

I think this is a rejected proposal from Ronan, as someone pointed out on Facebook that UofC picked Diller Scofidio + Renfro for the design: http://news.uchicago.edu/article/201...benstein-forum

Lol, what exactly is it supposed to reference? The gothis architecture of the original buildings? The Robie House? The neighborhood courtyard buildings? The Saarinen law school? Mies' Indian Village buildings? The new Gang dorms and city Hyde park? The Vinoly business school? The White City? Jahns mechanical plants and library? Netsch's library?

This is one of the more rediculous criticisms I've read considering almost nothing in Hyde Park references anything else in the area unless the style is centered on referential design like the Vinoly's nods to Wright across the street. This is one of the most architecturally diverse places on earth and as such there is no such thing as "out of place" here.

It's a shame that apparently we are not getting this design, but are instead getting another dose of NYC architects bringing us brutes a little culture. I mean look at this picture, I don't care if you designed the High Line, you look like the three doucheketeers:

http://news.uchicago.edu/sites/all/f...1.20151005.jpg
UChicago.edu

Looks like Bono and Mick Jagger had kids who take themselves way too seriously.

The new Gang dorms do an excellent job of referencing campus, since you ask.

I completely understand why the university didn't choose the zoo design for the conference center. Kudos. It was in very poor taste and a garish eyesore.

More on Vue53:
https://www.bisnow.com/chicago/news/...truction-53604

UChicago Medicine Planning Major Expansion / Redevelopment of West Campus

An online presentation of UChicago Medicine's master plan shows the University plans to knock down Wyler Children's Hospital and Bernard Mitchell Hospital, add a new 240-bed cancer tower across from the Center for Care and Discovery, expand Comer Children's Hospital into the American School space (while preserving the facade), add a host of new research buildings, expand the new parking garage even further, etc.

https://vimeo.com/77539498

See maps at 2:22 and 2:32.

Specific items include:
1) Phase One: knocking down Wyler Children's Hospital and building a $225 million, nine-story research building
2) knocking down Bernard Mitchell Hospital and replacing it with a nine-story research building
3) knocking down the Peck Pavilion and replacing it with a nine-story research building
4) knocking down Kovler and replacing it with a six-story research building
5) building an 8-story, 240 bed cancer tower diagonal from the Center for Care and Discovery
6) a 5-story expansion of Comer Children's Hospital in the space of the American School building
7) an 8-story medical office tower above the new parking garage and building a new ER (and trauma center?) on the first floor
8) extending the new parking garage further north to fill the whole block
9) replacing the old parking garage on Maryland Avenue with a new mixed-use parking garage
10) a new research building by the current LASR renovation (diagonal from the new Eckhardt Building)

I was born at Wyler's. I'm not sure how I feel about this.

That presentation is from 2013. A lot can change in 3 years!

Same Dean, same plan.

This a 5 or 10 year plan. If you look back at the previous 10 year plans for the university and the hospital in recent decades, they've basically built everything, or more, that they planned.

Main change would be addition of trauma center--and all the other facilities they have built offsite (south loop, orland park, silver cross, etc.)

The university is big on planning. These things don't just come out of nowhere. This was a huge consultant project and presented publicly at an industry conference with the head of UChicago Medicine's space planning--with approval from hospital management.

The university wants pritzker and the bsd to be in the top 5 nationally--same level as law school and business school--and it is willing to spend to make it happen.

Certain things have to be phased in. First Center for Care and Discovery had to open then other things could begin to fall into place. Wyler has already been vacated for demolition. Mitchell is still in use for a bit; the new ER / trauma center needs to open first before old can be decommissioned, etc.

Kinda cool - new comedy club across from new dorms
 

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2016...mprov-was-born

Great renderings, indeed.......but MAN is that building isolated from everything else around it!!

....can't wait to see how it looks in person!

-Mark Self
http://heightscalling.blogspot.com/

This bit about the previous owner is crazy.

Ugh. Hopefully this is no longer binding, the site is literally two blocks from the 57th Street ME station and IMO needs no parking.


http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160...t-for-20-years

Recently some groups have been calling for Metra to convert to an "L"-like timetable with trains running every 10 or 15 minutes.

http://chi.streetsblog.org/2016/01/1...ike-the-cta-l/

But I have another, crazier idea. In 2013, CTA pulled all the Red lines tracks south of Cermak road and re-built the line all the way to 95t St. in 5 months. Cost: $425 million.

http://www.transitchicago.com/redsouth/

What if they simply pulled the Metra tracks and rebuilt it, as they did with the Redline, to be an actual L train connected with rest of the CTA system?

:)

Hyde Park would finally have an L line and this would help economic and construction development in the neighborhood.

I like this idea actually. Could basically function as a subway/train with stops from Millennium Park, past Hyde Park, and hit places like the Museum Park area, Soldier Field, McCormick Place, 31st Street Beach, etc.

:tup:

If I understand what you are suggesting, it is something that has been put forward in the past. Do a search using the terms "gray line"
But if money is available, there are no shortage of ideas. For example, perhaps as part of a Green Line reconstruction, a new section could be routed toward McCormick Place

Gordon Parks Art Hall - Lab School Expansion
 

I don't think we have ever gotten a good look at this one. All photos from VDTA:

http://s2.postimg.org/yv7926e89/gpah_image01.jpg
http://s21.postimg.org/5arytz5h3/gpah_image14.jpg
http://s27.postimg.org/4npc5uzgz/gpah_image06.jpg
http://s22.postimg.org/6kt848j29/gpah_image10.jpg
http://s16.postimg.org/oeizlkfwl/gpah_image17.jpg

Oh man, how is any normal school supposed to compete with this? My high school had an arts trailer. Literally.