There is never an excuse for bad design.

You might *hope* that the current designs are only 'placeholders', but there does not appear to be any basis to assume this...

Regardless, the worst part of this scheme, the suburban towers sprouting atop the waiting room, appear to have the 'Landmarks' department influence all over it... those frustrated architects love to do everything they can to 'blend' everything in... anything that tries to enhance the historical context by contrasting with it immediately gets shot down...

#

Generally. But not in this case, in which it happens I have factual basis, though unfortunately one I am prevented from elaborating on.

It'd be interesting to see a gigantic onion dome planted on top of Union Station, with the top portion being gathering glass to full illuminate the Great Hall, but with the bulk of the onion being usable space. Absurdist? Quite possibly. But pretty dramatic, to be sure!

Wow! This really sucks.

As much as I like the aesthetic and the detailing of the transit center, the urban design sucks. It's a huge swath of concrete at one of the city's most bustling intersections. It offers no landscaping, no retail, and almost nothing else to engage pedestrians. From the neighborhood standpoint, it's about as engaging as a Jewel parking lot. Is it better than the parking lot it replaced? Sure. Is it ideal? Hell no.

It would be a breath of fresh air if they built something like that at Woodfield Mall (and Canadian/European cities DO build similar stuff in their suburbs) but in the heart of the city it just seems inappropriate, so I always hoped and kinda expected it to be temporary.

As for the "millions" spent building it - a big chunk of that was spent on underground construction to build the Pedway connection, which will continue to be useful even after the block is redeveloped.

The Goettsch proposal as shown leaves a lot to be desired, but I like that they plan to do away with the transit center and wrap the bus loading into a building podium that is at least semi-urban, with tighter curb cuts, plenty of retail and a green wall/plaza-ramp.

Chicagoarchitecture.org

https://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/...3-658x1000.jpg

lawl 'concept'

Clearly it's a concept, the text clearly states that the transit center will remain while all of the "renderings" show a huge office tower in it's place. Both cannot be accurate.

Someone call Norman Foster, or anyone that knows how to contextualize contemporary architecture with older landmarks.

In its place—or atop the transit center, as often is seen in other cities around the globe?

It appears to be in the base, maybe even slightly below grade. But I agree, it's definitely not very visible what their concept for it actually is.

Is it possible they go bigger here if Amazon selects the Post Office for HQ2?

Phase 1, the headhouse expansion, is unlikely to get any larger, because there are limits to what the historic building can hold. Similarly, the apartment building over the tracks is limited by it's slender site and the structural acrobatics it is undergoing in order to rest on only 2 rows of 5 columns in the track platforms. The parcel with the office towers is a few years down the road, and is unencumbered by existing conditions, so it seems there is some good possibility for growth there if the demand for office space in the direct vicinity makes a big leap.

Mark your calendars for another community meeting, this time to discuss Riverside's proposal for Union Station:

Union Station developer to detail plans
Greg Hinz, Crain's Chicago Business

"O'Donnell's Riverside Development & Investment is about to present plans for 330 hotel rooms and 404 residential units atop the historic rail depot, as well as an office tower on what now is a parking garage on the block bound by Clinton, Van Buren, Canal and a Chicago Transit Authority bus facility, according to a constituent newsletter emailed over the weekend by the local alderman, Brendan Reilly, 42nd.

Reilly and city officials failed to respond to requests for comment and elaboration. O'Donnell emailed that he's travelling in Europe but will answer questions after Reilly's meeting, which is set for 6 p.m. June 25 in Union Station's Burlington Room."

This would explain the skimpy canopy coverage of the transit center, I always thought that looked under designed for Chicago's climate...

Old Post Office - Check
Cook County Hosp - Check
Union Station - Almost check
....Plus major changes/improvements to Sears and Congress Theater.

Nice to see all these historical Chicago institutions get these upgrades at the same time.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/apps/...20180625175729


http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...emake-unveiled

June 25, 2018
Union Station remake unveiled

oof

no kidding

fuck