CHICAGO | One Bennett Park | 837 FT | 68 FLOORS

[patriotizzy]

This is as handsome a tower as one can get. NYC level of modern traditional architecture.

[harryc]

Originally Posted by patriotizzy

This is as handsome a tower as one can get. NYC level of modern traditional architecture.

We strive to be better than that.

[Donnie77]

Originally Posted by harryc

We strive to be better than that.

Amen brother.

[left of center]

Originally Posted by harryc

We strive to be better than that.

[LouisVanDerWright]

I was going to say, isn't that the issue with this design?

[ChiTownWonder]

thats the tea

[HomrQT]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

actively wanting another one of these is like actively wanting another LaGrange.

I disagree with this. I think this building is significantly better than what LaGrange produces. OBP is quality filler to me. Not every building can be a masterpiece. This is tall, thin, has layers, and even somewhat resembles deco. It's not bad!

[10023]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

actively wanting another one of these is like actively wanting another LaGrange.

Stern’s buildings are orders of magnitude better than LaGrange’s.

[k1052]

Originally Posted by HomrQT

I disagree with this. I think this building is significantly better than what LaGrange produces. OBP is quality filler to me. Not every building can be a masterpiece. This is tall, thin, has layers, and even somewhat resembles deco. It's not bad!

Basically this. Somewhat resembles deco is correct...or maybe I'd say what a deco design looks like on a Related Midwest budget. We should count our backwater hick butts fortunate that Stern deigned to grace us with even a tepid version of what NYC enjoys or at least that's the vibe I pick up from him.

[Via Chicago]

Originally Posted by 10023

Stern’s buildings are orders of magnitude better than LaGrange’s.

most of his buildings, sure. this particular building? i dunno.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

most of his buildings, sure. this particular building? i dunno.

you don't think this is an entire order of magnitude above lagrange's hackery?

seriously?

i mean, it's not a great building or anything, but it's light years more palatable than lagrange's vertical turds.

[H. H. Holmes]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

you don't think this is an entire order of magnitude above lagrange's hackery?

seriously?

i mean, it's not a great building or anything, but it's light years more palatable than lagrange's vertical turds.

Didn't people on this forum generally like the design of Park Tower, though? Maybe that should be the comparison for OBP.

[maru2501]

park tower was ok, yes, it's probably his best work here.. But whatever good will it brought was quickly burned and sunk to the bottom of the sea with waldorf

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by H. H. Holmes

Didn't people on this forum generally like the design of Park Tower, though? Maybe that should be the comparison for OBP.

of lucien's bigger traditional design towers, i'd say that park tower is his most successful.

two things help it:

a) it leans more deco-echo than his more typical over-scaled 50 story french chateau crap.

b) it wasn't VE'd to death like waldforf-astoria (god that ridiculous corrugated metal hat is just terrible).


still, i'd put OBP far above any of lucien's traditional design towers (i'm not including any of the modern stuff that came out of his office, like erie-on-the-park, that's really quite good).

[Jibba]

Originally Posted by 10023

Stern’s buildings are orders of magnitude better than LaGrange’s.

Better but not orders-of-magnitude better.

[the urban politician]

It's hard to fathom that the same guy designed Erie on the Park and Waldorf Astoria.

[BonoboZill4]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

It's hard to fathom that the same guy designed Erie on the Park and Waldorf Astoria.

Wha-wha-what?? I love the structural design of EoP... man, imagine if Lagrange had kept doing that sort of work

[pilsenarch]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

It's hard to fathom that the same guy designed Erie on the Park and Waldorf Astoria.

Lagrange had nothing to do with the design of Erie on the Park and the adjacent tower to the southeast... the architect who designed those two towers is now with bKL...

[10023]

^ probably fired for the attention his designs got and their obvious superiority

Originally Posted by H. H. Holmes

Didn't people on this forum generally like the design of Park Tower, though? Maybe that should be the comparison for OBP.

That is his best building and no, I don’t like it.

It’s no Grand Plaza. It’s tall and thin. But it’s still pretty awful post-modernist faux-Second Empire hackery.

I remember hating LaGrange even more because of an interview about 15 years ago. I think it was in Chicago Magazine. He just came off like such a contemptible person who thought very highly of himself, and disdainful if anyone who thought architecture was about more than making a buck.

What he builds are, essentially, very tall multi-unit McMansions. And they share the American McMansion’s knack for misinterpreting and muddling various traditional design elements, with no sense of cohesion or proportion, combined with substandard materials and construction.

His name means “the barn” and that’s probably what he should have spent his career designing. Perhaps Iowa pig farmers would appreciate a mansard roof or two.

[Via Chicago]

Originally Posted by 10023

His name means “the barn” and that’s probably what he should have spent his career designing. Perhaps Iowa pig farmers would appreciate a mansard roof or two.

this is a pretty good diss