CHICAGO | General Developments

[Tom Servo]

Originally Posted by spyguy

8 floors, 1 floor underground parking
Perkins + Will

wow, that puts me on the fucking floor! not that it's the greatest thing ever but a daring design nonetheless...

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by J_M_Tungsten

When an architecture firm seems to get a design that they like, they stick to it. This style appears to take the same elements from the new Rush hospital as well as the base of skybridge. Is this Perkins+Will trademark style now?

It's not the firm's design, but that of their Principal Designer, Ralph Johnson. He designed all of those projects that you mentioned and probably this one as well (including the Contemporaine) - he's a VERY good, award-winning designer, so if this is a 'Ralph Johnson for Perkins + Will' design, then kudos to them..again. He, like most well-known and even more discreet design architects can, in a way characterize their work by design philosophies that tend to repeat, or have elements that seem very familiar from one project to another (think Gehry, Mies, Calatrava, Rogers, etc). That isn't a commentary on the quality of the design of any of those architects, but rather that they each have a specific, personal philosophy they like to work with, and I think that's why Johnson's work might provide similarities to previous works that he's completed at Perkins+Will.

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

^Are these specific type of signaled roundabouts currently in use anywhere? Is there any traffic engineering literature about throughput and accident experience?

There is, but I do not have the case studies to post at my convenience. Sorry.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by spyguy

8 floors, 1 floor underground parking
Perkins + Will

^ So is this the expected design for this school or is it still just a proposal? In other words, has a contract to P + W been awarded or are they just reviewing different designs?

[ardecila]

No, Perkins + Will is the architect. They were selected last April after an RFQ.

[the urban politician]

^ Oh, well that's great news.

Sure it's not a 40 story highrise, but at least there will be some sort of large south loop construction to look forward to.

I really hope they don't demo the original school, though.

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ Oh, well that's great news.

Sure it's not a 40 story highrise, but at least there will be some sort of large south loop construction to look forward to.

I really hope they don't demo the original school, though.

There is currently just a surface lot at that corner where the renderings show the new building.

[the urban politician]

^ Oh, I know.

I just don't want this new project to jeopardize the original school. I'm hoping they find a way to reuse it, and it looks like at least there is a discussion about that

[pottebaum]

Has anyone heard anything about Target signing a lease on space in the old Carson's building?

[denizen467]

TUP, I'm pretty sure the school/CPS determined they needed to keep the existing building or at least found another use for it. There was an article somewhere to this effect sometime this past summer.

On the other hand, I love P+W but I'm feeling some brutalism from this design. I wish the painted concrete expanses would have some other kind of treatment. I know auditoriums etc. don't need windows, but there should be a better way.

[bnk]

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune....d-winners.html

By Blair Kamin

October 29, 2010

Aqua leads parade of 2010 Design Excellence Award winners

Aqua, the 82-story skyscraper with the spectacularly undulating balconies, will be one of the big winners Friday night when Chicago architects take a break from being battered by the weak economy and recognize top design achievements.

Designed by Chicago architect Jeanne Gang and her firm, Studio Gang Architects, the hotel and residential tower at 225 N. Columbus Drive was named the world’s best skyscraper in 2009 by the German-based building data base Emporis.

Joining Aqua in receiving honor awards, the highest form of recognition, in the distinguished building category will be the new river walk along the south bank of the Chicago River, by Ross Barney Architects; the DuSable Harbor Building, by David Woodhouse Architects; Old Orchard Woods, the Skokie high-rise residential complex, by architect and developer David Hovey; and a simple but elegant field chapel (below, on continuation) in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, designed by students at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

One juror had the following to say about the chapel: “Before I came here today, I didn’t want to see yet another building made out of sticks. But I saw a great one here.”

....

.................

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by spyguy

8 floors, 1 floor underground parking
Perkins + Will

Yes, please. I'll take two, thank you very much.

Spyguy reminds me why I check these forums often. Nice way to start the weekend. Fantastic find.

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by denizen467

TUP, I'm pretty sure the school/CPS determined they needed to keep the existing building or at least found another use for it. There was an article somewhere to this effect sometime this past summer.

On the other hand, I love P+W but I'm feeling some brutalism from this design. I wish the painted concrete expanses would have some other kind of treatment. I know auditoriums etc. don't need windows, but there should be a better way.

And a touch of brutalism is a bad thing? I wouldn't necessarily want a copy of a 1970 brutalist hulk (or perhaps I would, depends on which day you ask me!), but as presented here, handled with Ralph Johnson's skill with concrete forms, I'll take a healthy serving...

[killaviews]

Originally Posted by sentinel

Drove by the JW Marriott on Adams last night and work has progressed steadily in the past few weeks:

- A large metal & glass canopy on the Adams St. facade is up - will most likely be lit up at night

- The interiors were lit, with all finish work (paint/wallcoverings, finished ceiling and flooring, etc) nearly complete.

- Large chandeliers were in place and covered over with clear plastic - fancy stuff, all around. I believe that this is now the premier Marriott property in Chicagoland.

- I believe a lot of the flooring is marble, and the reception desk at the far end seemed to have finish millwork and marble/stone in place.

All in all, it's going to be quite a fancy hotel, and opening day is slated (as of now) for November 11, according to Curbed Chicago and yo.

I've walked by a few times. The lobby looks amazing.

Isn't this like the biggest opening of the year?

Its 600 room hotel. Should add a lot to the Loop.

[Loopy]

...

[Alliance]

Originally Posted by spyguy

8 floors, 1 floor underground parking
Perkins + Will

VERY sexy

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by denizen467

TUP, I'm pretty sure the school/CPS determined they needed to keep the existing building or at least found another use for it. There was an article somewhere to this effect sometime this past summer.

On the other hand, I love P+W but I'm feeling some brutalism from this design. I wish the painted concrete expanses would have some other kind of treatment. I know auditoriums etc. don't need windows, but there should be a better way.

Those clearly are low-grade, preliminary renderings. The glass box at the top is a good example... it's represented as a continuous piece of glass, even though in real life it would need to be segmented into smaller pieces. Even the most smooth designs still have seams of some kind.

My point being - we can't even tell what the materiality of the building will be from these renderings, apart from the likely use of concrete structure. The sheer wall on the south side doesn't respond very well to Van Doren Shaw's Lakeside Press Building next door, but there are lots of little things that could improve this relationship greatly. If the wall is concrete, it could be cast using small strips of wood instead of massive 4x8 sheets. That would lend to it a fine texture.

[Rizzo]

Definitely preliminary at this point. As someone who develops these kinds of renderings, they'll be finessed a bit later as the design proceeds. If the client loves the design and they keep it on budget they can achieve this nice design.

[wrab]

Kudos to Perkins + Will on the New Jones College Prep.

_____


And now for something completely different (have these already been posted?):


Engine Company 16
43 E Pershing Road

Engine Company 109
2343 S Kedzie

Interactive Design | Eight Architects


LINK


_____


Haas Park Fieldhouse
2404 North Washtenaw Avenue

Valley Forge Park and Fieldhouse
7001 West 59th Street

Booth Hansen


LINK

[Chicago Shawn]

First off, I am stunned on the new Jones College Prep; just awesome.

The Valley Forge Park fieldhouse posted by Wrabbit is completed, and looks pretty darn good in person.