Quote:
Originally Posted by ardecila
Well, at least the Sprinkles facade turned out very nicely - the dark brick is simple, appropriate for Chicago and even kinda muscular (oddly for a cupcake shop). I don't remember what the building looked like before that, though.
I'd even resign myself to a townhouse facade if it was an individual building... but to paste it onto a larger building that clearly is NOT a townhouse? It's insanely tacky and Disneyish. Fortunately the two westernmost spaces in Esquire have been filled, and it looks like both tenants (Louboutin and Buccellati) have chosen a slick structural glass facade for their spaces.
Can I also say I'm disappointed with Perkins + Will if they've dropped the reddish-orange paint on Jones HS? That paint tied it into the neighborhood by referencing the brick of neighboring buildings. Chicago buildings have been very afraid of color lately....
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The original building was a tan postmodernish building. Nothing all that great. The sprinkles facade was a welcome improvement over the tan monotony in that area. Problem was, they divided this building. The other half is grey painted plywood. I wouldn't mind if the city permitted large banner advertising over these temporary facades. Something needs to be done with that vacant space in the meantime.
I doubt the Esquire facade will have that brick townhouse. I imagine it's a placeholder to emphasize variety. Though I really don't care for it either. Like fashion, Oak Street should be going above and beyond in architecture....and catering to international tastes. I'm sure my neighbors share similar preferences; The street should balance between preserving the existing 19th century building stock alongside ultra-modern design. The last thing I want to see is economical design. The presence of international shoppers is huge. The buildings need to make a statement.