CHICAGO | One Bennett Park | 837 FT | 68 FLOORS

[BrandonJXN]

I must be the only person who doesn't have a problem with this tower. I'm also a fan of the Park Tower too (kill me quickly please). Why is this building receiving so much hate?

[J_M_Tungsten]

^because people have unrealistic expectations of what should be built, but you know what they say about opinions...

[James_Mac]

I'm fairly new to Chicago, and one of the things I love about the city is the diversity of style amongst the high rises. This is, of course, mostly a function of the fact that Chicago started building high rises so early. You don't see that same diversity in other cities - e.g., Dubai, or even London (which has plenty of architectural richness, but is new to the high rise game). Where those other cities have diversity, it's narrower and seems more artificial or forced.

I'm not enormously fond of this building, but since it's not another glass box, it does add to the diversity of the Chicago skyline. Yeah, that's a bit artificial, but I bet that will be much less obvious in 20+ years (assuming the pre-cast still looks okay at that point).

[intrepidDesign]

You would think that there would be something they could add to the paint of the precast that would give it the same sheen and patina that limestone has, I mean if you're going to mimic a time period, style and material, you might as well take some pride in it and do it the right way. That being said, I'm stoked to see this one get off the ground. I've always liked it.

[BrandonJXN]

Originally Posted by Tom Servo

No, this project isn't being dismissed simply "because it's precast", it's being dismissed because it's poorly designed trash and a taller version of the absolute cancer that is that god-awful Ritz Carlton building on Michigan.


chicagoagentmagazine.com

I get nauseated every time I drive past this TURD. And hey look that Park Hyatt shit stack is captured in the same picture. Priceless!

This building is really nice. It's far from being god-awful.

[The Lurker]

Originally Posted by BrandonJXN

I must be the only person who doesn't have a problem with this tower. I'm also a fan of the Park Tower too (kill me quickly please). Why is this building receiving so much hate?

I don't hate it either. My standards are admittedly a little lower than some folks here but I rather enjoy the massing. I also think that it may cast cool contrasting reflections on neighboring glass towers like 500 N. LSD and Parkview West and perhaps even the new Golub tower on sunny summer evenings.

Can we at least all agree that its less heinous than say AMLI in River North?

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by BrandonJXN

This building is really nice. It's far from being god-awful.

No, it's pretty bad.

[prelude91]

I understand everyone has an opinion, but I seriously can't understand how anyone can think this building is "really nice". In fact I can't understand how anyone like the Ritz Building, Park Hyatt, Waldorf.
Even if you enjoy "older styles" as some people have said, they are bastardizations that lack the detail, and use some of the cheapest materials.

[Kumdogmillionaire]

Originally Posted by prelude91

I understand everyone has an opinion, but I seriously can't understand how anyone can think this building is "really nice". In fact I can't understand how anyone like the Ritz Building, Park Hyatt, Waldorf.
Even if you enjoy "older styles" as some people have said, they are bastardizations that lack the detail, and use some of the cheapest materials.

To me, the biggest problems with these towers is not even the design or cheaper building material(because that isn't really noticeable unless you are right up next to it, the imitation stuff does a good job you know... imitating). The problem is that they created the disgusting beige "glow" over the entire Mag Mile part of the city.

[Zerton]

Originally Posted by Tom Servo

I get nauseated every time I drive past this TURD. And hey look that Park Hyatt shit stack is captured in the same picture. Priceless!

At least the park Hyatt has decently elegant massing. The Ritz Carlton though... utter shit.

[Tom Servo]

Originally Posted by James_Mac

London (which has plenty of architectural richness, but is new to the high rise game).

London has some of the best high rise architecture in the world right now.

Originally Posted by intrepidDesign

You would think that there would be something they could add to the paint of the precast that would give it the same sheen and patina that limestone has, I mean if you're going to mimic a time period, style and material, you might as well take some pride in it and do it the right way. That being said, I'm stoked to see this one get off the ground. I've always liked it.

A) That's funny.

B) Again, the materials used are not the issue. Well, it is a separate issue.

Originally Posted by BrandonJXN

This building is really nice. It's far from being god-awful.

No, sorry. It's horrible. Inside and out.

Originally Posted by Zerton

At least the park Hyatt has decently elegant massing.

Huh???

[Zerton]

Originally Posted by Tom Servo

Huh???

It has a nice, slender art deco massing. That's the only redeeming thing about the Park Hyatt, imo.

[braun06]

One big problem the Hyatt and Ritz have is the language of soaring verticality confused with the horizontal interruption of balconies. Park Hyatt would have good massing if it weren't infiltrated by rounded balconies that relate to no other suggested shape of a soaring building. With the Ritz, good lawd its a trainwreck. It's good that many people are on Michigan Avenue are distracted with activity on the street to have time to really study it. The problem with why Pomo comes across bad in residential high rises is because in its source style of purest beginnings they never took into account leisure uses of today's residential users. Art Deco was somewhat rigid in its minimalist approach and best worked with commercial property uses. Incorporating parking garages and balconies into these older design styles makes it look lousy and adulturated. Rounded balconies on residential buildings makes me think of Miami Beach.

Luckily One Bennett Park will leave the exterior skin of the building intact, if even with awkward scaling reminiscent of code requirements from another era of another city. However the style is still American all the way. Architects do get hired off their previous portfolio experience unfortunately and not the other way around. The point about London having good design is taken but it is still new to the game. They will get ugly buildings and ones without glass skin as time moves forward. Skyscraper fashion changes and people will be tired of seeing the same esthetic just as people will be tired of slicked hair with beards, pants that are a few inches too short, and perpetuating the myth of Kanye West's "artistry."

Europe doesn't currently live in the high rise lifestyle like some North American cities do, so it's like comparing apples and oranges. If the market demands that average income people experience faux luxury living for a profit, you will see things change abroad very dramatically. You will have a hard time finding a building like this in London definitely because there is no history to suggest it should even be there, contrary to era where our romanticism of building into the sky started.

[new.slang]

Meh I will say it's probably the best beige pomo building in the city...but that's not saying much. A lot of the problem is the location is so off, f it was in an older area it would be much more innocuous.

I actually think the massing is pretty good...it would probably be a cool building if it were like all black glass.

[HomrQT]

Originally Posted by BrandonJXN

I must be the only person who doesn't have a problem with this tower. I'm also a fan of the Park Tower too (kill me quickly please). Why is this building receiving so much hate?

You're not the only one. I'm a fan so far.

[Buckman821]

People get worked up too easily. IMO the only time real estate development is worth this kind of passion and vitriol is when worthy historic structures are threatened. I frankly don't even find Park Hyatt or the Ritz Carlton to be that offensive, I think Ten Delaware, Elysian and even 2550 are worse.

But it's a big city and you're never going to love every building in it anyway. I agree with those who say that adding to the diversity has some inherent benefit even if my personal preference is that more new structures were of their age. This building won't do anything for Chicago's architectural image but it also isn't going to ruin it. Chicago will be just fine.

A lot of the arguments that are raised against architecture that draw upon previous eras or themes from different parts of the world seem kinda silly 100 or 150 years later. Most commenters would never make those sorts of comments about buildings that made those same faux pas several centuries earlier but have now become interesting and quirky parts of the urban fabric.

All in all? 6.5/10; build it. This will be better than all of the LaGrange buildings anyway.

[sentinel]

According the the ChiArchBlog, permits have been issued for One Bennett Park and fencing is going up soon, possibly today. They also listed the final architectural height as 843', not sure if that's been listed yet.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by sentinel

According the the ChiArchBlog, permits have been issued for One Bennett Park and fencing is going up soon, possibly today. They also listed the final architectural height as 843', not sure if that's been listed yet.

You misread it. Permits haven't been issued for anything - the article states that someone says construction fencing is supposed to go up today.

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by marothisu

You misread it. Permits haven't been issued for anything - the article states that someone says construction fencing is supposed to go up today.

You are correct, I misread it, apologies. Either way, it looks likes it will start very soon.

[SamInTheLoop]

^ I can confirm that the esteemed Acorn Fence company out of Indiana (Related employs all the best vendors for each and every project aspect) as of noon on this very day, has begun installing posts for said fencing around the perimeter of the soon-to-be-closed park.

Chicago is about to get a Robert AM Stern. May the Design Gods have mercy on our wicked city's soul, to the extent there is one such extant......