[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by Jibba

I agree with a part of this, but it's admittedly out of ego. More often than not, novel buildings are false symbols of a city's being on the supposed cultural vanguard. The Gherkin is irrational (and makes me revulse, frankly); the Hearst looks overwrought, albeit well-proportioned and graceful; Salesforce is pleasing and elegant but is nothing more than a tapered box. Authenticity is an inextricable aspect of aesthetics: When a building is conceived to employ modern materials and methods for the purpose of more effectively fulfilling its aims, then it's magic (cf. Hancock, Seagram, etc.). Exploiting that ideology by working backwards from an 'iconic' design rings false, and I'd rather have true architecture than superficial credibility. Now, that doesn't wholly apply to the case of this particular building, but it's a useful rubric for making that distinction.

Even leaving all of that aside, the site on Wacker doesn't call for anything more than a solid, well-proportioned, intensive use of the site. I see the N/S portion of Wacker Drive as the epicenter of modern commerce in Chicago. It's a collection of buildings that are fully representative of the modern era (for better and for worse) that are designed to perform, not dazzle with architectural pretense. In sum, they represent a dynamic, healthy city. Just like the innumerable blocks of anonymous office towers of midtown Manhattan do. For a site with visual prominence, like Wolf Point, the opportunity calls for something more aspiring. The Wacker site needs to deliver the functional goods and provide a welcoming presence to the public to which this building will be a daily physical presence, and the arcades on the Wacker and river side and the grand, transparent lobby should address this well. The tower mass itself is handsome and dignified, and based on Geottsch's track record, the detailing will be subtly sophisticated.

Nice assessment this