CHICAGO | The 78 Site

[r18tdi]

I can't tell if I actually like this design or I'm just digging the novelty of it being so different.

[ardecila]

Reading the RFQs was interesting too. Even the state who is administering this process basically has no idea which parcel of land Related will give them, no detailed information on the site infrastructure, etc. Related is really playing this close to the vest...

[sentinel]

The video presentation shows an "elevated park" east of this new building, seemingly separate from the larger, central Crescent Park of the whole development.

[Mr Downtown]

Originally Posted by ardecila

no idea which parcel of land Related will give them

I'm not sure that was still true by the end of the process. Recall this sentence from the state's press release: "The winning team presented a proposal that was truly iconic and will be easily adaptable to the final project site (which changed late in the competition)."

[Randomguy34]

Originally Posted by sentinel

The video presentation shows an "elevated park" east of this new building, seemingly separate from the larger, central Crescent Park of the whole development.

The elevated park will be on top of the realigned Metra tracks

[Razorback]

Love. I think it would be that one element that would bring foot traffic from tourists.

With regards to the look, I would say it resembles Amazon's Sphere (which came before the Vessel in NYC).

Originally Posted by ardecila

Sun Times has renderings this morning. Hard to tell how this is situated in The 78 based on the renderings. The design reminds me of Koolhaas' entry for the Lucas Museum, looks like OMA has been wanting to do this "pinecone" facade in Chicago for awhile.

Of course this will invite comparisons to Vessel in NY.

[the urban politician]

Yeah, the Amazon sphere comes to mind when I see that. That rather contrived inspiration turns me off a bit.

Lets hope they go with a different design (IMO)

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Yeah, the Amazon sphere comes to mind when I see that. That rather contrived inspiration turns me off a bit.

Lets hope they go with a different design (IMO)

I get the comparison, but the methodology for this design is very specific to the site, surroundings and project scope - I highly recommend watching the first third of the video that Ardecila linked to, which breaks down OMA's thought process really well - there are many factors that any designer/architect would need to consider, and I think they clarify reasoning for how that affected the design very thoughtfully.

The design is interesting and unique to me, but I personally don't know how I feel about it yet.

[bhawk66]

Very cool. Question: Is there some sort of glass cleaning drone I'm unaware of?

[sentinel]

Good question; I'm not aware of anything, but I can see how it may be tricky to clean this thing.

I am glad however that they are using the type of glass that helps keep birds from flying into it: http://www.ornilux.com/ (they talk about it in the video presentation).

[ardecila]

This is the exciting rendering for me (basically the view looking south from Roosevelt). it really shows how the DPI will fit into context and draw people into the site or maybe further down to Chinatown.

[BrinChi]

I dig it. But isn't this similar in format (i.e. all glass, open atrium) to the Thompson Center, which many folks want to tear down both for aesthetic and energy efficiency reasons (not me)? Just ironic to me that the state wants to get rid of one government building and then subsidize the construction of a shiny new version.

[gandalf612]

Originally Posted by BrinChi

I dig it. But isn't this similar in format (i.e. all glass, open atrium) to the Thompson Center, which many folks want to tear down both for aesthetic and energy efficiency reasons (not me)? Just ironic to me that the state wants to get rid of one government building and then subsidize the construction of a shiny new version.

The inefficiency of the Thompson Center is due to its ginormous multi level atrium NOT its glass

[ardecila]

It looks like the OMA design has the rounded glass facing north; the southern exposure is a flat wall with louvers to shade against summer sun. I also assume that detailed energy modeling will be performed on this design to ensure that it can be heated and cooled effectively. The project brief has a goal of LEED Platinum so they can't screw up the energy efficiency aspect.

As for the Thompson Center, it's pretty obvious to me that the decision to sell is purely about the money, and Pritzker's opinion that a full block in the heart of the Loop should be used for private business rather than state government. Plus if the state loses the Thompson Center, all those departments have to be placed into privately owned buildings, probably a sweetheart deal at above-market rents.

[sentinel]

I understand the logic behind the design, but the more I look at it, the more I wish it was the same all the way around, just from a visual/form perspective (even though that would negate the overall reasoning for the design).

What do I know?

[LouisVanDerWright]

Others have already said it, but this reminds one of the so called "Vessel".

I like that comparison, it's like the Vessel, but it is actually useful and not a $200 million vanity project that's an obvious attempt to match the success of the Bean.

[Skyguy_7]

^ You just gave me a brilliant novelty idea: A wide, temporary staircase up and over the bean for a new vantage point/photo op.

[TR Devlin]

I like the fact that the curved side of the building is on the north and west, facing Crescent Park. The flat sides are on the south and east. This is similar to 333 W Wacker where the curved side of that building faces the river and the flat sides face Franklin and Lake streets. I really like 333 W Wacker.

But I’m not sure about the height. IMHO, this looks like it’s been flattened; like somebody sat on a beach ball. I’d be interested to see what it would look like if the height were stretched from 180 feet (in the current proposal) to, say, 500 – 600 feet. I’m thinking that, viewed from the northwest, it would look like the Gherkin in London. That is, much improved.

[TR Devlin]

Originally Posted by Skyguy_7

^ You just gave me a brilliant novelty idea: A wide, temporary staircase up and over the bean for a new vantage point/photo op.

One of my favorite spots for photo ops in Chicago is on the bridge over Monroe, between Millenium Park and the Art Institute.

[mark0]

Originally Posted by BrinChi

I dig it. But isn't this similar in format (i.e. all glass, open atrium) to the Thompson Center, which many folks want to tear down both for aesthetic and energy efficiency reasons (not me)? Just ironic to me that the state wants to get rid of one government building and then subsidize the construction of a shiny new version.

Illinois is a fumbling, bumbling "has been" of a state. Our leaders think innovation will come from a shiney new building that will look terribly out of date anyways in a decade. Innovation comes from an environment that fosters imagination in the people, treats capital properly and lets business flourish. Thats not IL right now. Back in the day CA offered that. HP was started in a garage. Apple was started in a garage. Google in a garage. Amazon, a garage. EchoBay (EBay), a garage. Facebook, a dorm room. The list goes on and on. Nothing is started in a State sponsored "innovation lab". It's the antithesis of an innovative environment. How's Pritzker's 1871 actually doing? What innovation is actually coming out of that? If this state is serious about it's future and fostering innovation the best thing it can do right now is NOT spend money it doesn't have, stop the bleeding of people and businesses and then get the hell out of the way of business. Make the state a fertile place for entrepreneurs to thrive instead of flee. Innovators are not going to give 2 sh*ts about a glass bubble. Another thing about innovation as it pertains to the west coast: Military drove that. During WW2 uncle Sam pumped a ton of money into the west coast aerospace industries to fortify the Pacific. That directly flowed into high tech materials research, electronics and computing sciences. We'd have a better shot of creating an ecosystem around energy sciences due to Argon and Fermilab than this innovation Lab BS.