CHICAGO | General Developments

[KWILLSKYLINE]

Originally Posted by TimeAgain

$500 million sounds like a number someone just threw out there.

I remember last summer they were talking about upgrading the elevators at Sears. I wonder if thats part of this project. I remember when NBC had Kone upgrade their elevators it was quite the costly project and that was with only one freight elevator.

[Mr Downtown]

Originally Posted by sentinel

If you have a better idea of what you believe constitutes good design, we are all waiting with bated breath...for years now.

Come on, does anything about this suggest unity of design, or the slightest bit of context or discipline?

This is not design by committee; it’s design by bulletin-board. Some surfaces have reveals; others have flush-set glazing. One porte-cochere is slanted; the other is domed. There’s a snakeskin bubble in the middle . . . just because. Re-entrant corners, columns extending past the roofline, modules that are inset for no reason, informal arrangement of some kind of video screens that appear to be advertising Lava Lamps®—on a façade that’s in bright sunlight much of the year. Scatter some trees and shrubs around the roof and click on render: light source: autumn morning.

[pilsenarch]

^
Remember, this 'addition' which establishes an entirely new base and program is covering an entire city block... sounds like potentially dangerous monotony to me...

besides redesigning entries into the office building it is creating a shopping mall and tourist attraction... in light of these objectives, I think Gensler's design is remarkably restrained...

BTW, LED screens have long ago solved the problem of direct sunlight (see any of our wonderful new billboards... too bad the Crown Fountain couldn't have taken advantage of the new technology) Also, I'm guessing the video screens are on the back of a new elevator core/vertical circulation for all levels of the mall and the roof garden...

[TimeAgain]

Anyone have any idea as to the timeline for Willis?

[the urban politician]

^ Work will start 1st quarter this year, I read.

In other words, ahorita

[SteelMonkey]

Originally Posted by TimeAgain

Anyone have any idea as to the timeline for Willis?

One of the articles stated work would begin this month.

[BWChicago]

Originally Posted by KWILLSKYLINE

I remember last summer they were talking about upgrading the elevators at Sears. I wonder if thats part of this project. I remember when NBC had Kone upgrade their elevators it was quite the costly project and that was with only one freight elevator.

I've got a friend in the elevator union, they will be doing elevator work for many years to come. Suspect a lot of the tower will be upgraded as well, I've heard a lot of complaints over the years about the condition of the office space.

[F1 Tommy]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

^Mere fashion masquerading as design. Just because it's better than the original sterile plaza doesn't mean it's good.

I agree. This is not very good. Looks like a suburban shopping mall attached to the base of Sears(Willis whatever) Tower.

[danielschell]

Caisson work at 710 Grand

http://wp.me/p7uLxw-28y




Rendering via Brinintool + Lynch

[Mr Downtown]

Originally Posted by pilsenarch

^
[Willis remuddling], which establishes an entirely new base and program is covering an entire city block... sounds like potentially dangerous monotony to me...

Then I'm glad they further refined the initial design:

[LouisVanDerWright]

^ I'm sorry, but this is not a valid opinion. The base may have some questionable mismatches in design language, but it's nothing like the above. Just about the worst thing is the non-matching skylights and the loss of the Calder. The proposal is not perfect, but it's a HUGE step forwards from the fortress that is currently there.

[Mr Downtown]

^Au contraire. I have a Certificate of Validity (No. 512263) from the Ministry of Opinion.

[rlw777]

I wish the sears renovations were more contextual. They are completely ignoring the visual emphasis of the 9 square tubes of various heights that make up the building. I wonder what it would look like if they tried to continue that theme at the base.

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

^Au contraire. I have a Certificate of Validity (No. 512263) from the Ministry of Opinion.

[Jim in Chicago]

Is the scheme to paint Willis white dead?

[TimeAgain]

Originally Posted by Jim in Chicago

Is the scheme to paint Willis white dead?

That thankfully died a while ago, I believe.

[sentinel]

Funny image aside, I do understand Mr. D's concerns a little more...and they are not unwarranted. However, I think Gensler has created a preliminary design (because I'm sure the design will change) that actually does respect the existing tower. Creating a contemporary grid structure that follows the form of the building is important and relevant and I do strongly believe they have done that, based on the images that everyone has already seen.

Does the grid need to be followed exactly? Not really - in fact, they could have completely ignored that and created a design that was far more outlandish (that's one of the reasons' I didn't like that hotel/mixed-use tower addition from a few years ago - THAT felt tacked-on, even though it was a lovely tower on it's own). But Gensler didn't do that, thankfully, because they have extensive experience with mega-tall highrises as well as mixed-use redevelopments and they understand the need to preserve iconic buildings like this - not liking the design is one thing, but that's subjective. Does the design need to be uniform even while respecting the grid-like of the existing building? No, because that could be potentially boring and may not even work with the necessary programming requirements of these new spaces. Do we need to memorialize portions of older buildings, even when their current programming has outlived it's usefulness? Not really, especially if the current conditions don't work well.

I have to say, seeing this image from Curbed's article really struck me because of the stark difference between the current conditions and what this area can potentially become:


(Image: Blackstone via Curbed)

I mean really, it looks bad and not inviting at all.

[r18tdi]

Originally Posted by sentinel

I mean really, it looks bad and not inviting at all.

I often feel bad for the skydeck tourists I see lining up there, shivering in the cold.
I can understand giving them a decent place to go (and spend more of their dough).

[Mr Downtown]

The upside-down dividers/columns that get wider as they go up seem especially disrepectful to a work of honest structure like Willis.

And wouldn't a traditional 42-inch masonry-clad wall, strengthened within, be a much better way to shield against vehicles than installing a bollard in the public way every 30 inches around the entire block? Once the baseboard heating and conduit raceways and trash cans and cup storage cubbys go in those retail spaces, there's not going to be any point in having the plate glass pretend to meet the sidewalk.

[ithakas]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

The upside-down dividers/columns that get wider as they go up seem especially disrepectful to a work of honest structure like Willis.

And wouldn't a traditional 42-inch masonry-clad wall, strengthened within, be a much better way to shield against vehicles than installing a bollard in the public way every 30 inches around the entire block? Once the baseboard heating and conduit raceways and trash cans and cup storage cubbys go in those retail spaces, there's not going to be any point in having the plate glass pretend to meet the sidewalk.

You're really going in on this design for someone who recently defended this:



You got something against street level activation?