CHICAGO | Aqua | 858 FT / 262 M | 87 FLOORS - Page 62

Dougall5505 · #**1221** Posted **Mar 12, 2007, 4:00 AM**

none of your pictures worked

Tom In Chicago · #**1222** Posted **Mar 12, 2007, 4:08 AM**

^Yep. . . something's wrong with Pbase at the moment. . .

Chicago3rd · #**1223** Posted **Mar 12, 2007, 4:22 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcu

That doesnt look right. It's 300 feet shorter than Aon where's in the picture it looks taller.

As far as I know it is out of perspective. AON is technically across the street...and a mote. Shouldn't be cutting off 300 feet from this perspective...which axis seems to be the same distance north-south from either building.

Artistic license here...the same as people omitting competeing buildings.

Pandemonious · #**1224** Posted **Mar 12, 2007, 5:28 AM**

Yeah, that rendering is just bullshit. Perspective wouldn't do even remotely that much messing around with height, as pointed out already. This building will be really under construction any day now, as will be 351 N Clark. 2 major towers starting within a short time of each other.. we are so lucky here in Chicago.

SamInTheLoop · #**1225** Posted **Mar 12, 2007, 5:56 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by honte

It seems like Magellan is getting this one underway just in time to start marketing their next big tower... hopefully the one we've been hearing rumors about.

Does anyone have current sales figure on Aqua? I know they're pretty darn solid. I think we'll be hearing an announcement of a new tower soon.

The last I heard Aqua was close to 85% sold. Hopefully they'll hit 90% soon, and Magellan will have little choice but to launch the next tower this summer at the latest. I mean, they have little condo product to sell right now - I'm assuming The Chandler is essentially sold out. They have a couple dozen townhomes but that's a different category alltogether....they need high-rise condo units to sell, so that means time to launch the 900-footer!! (I hope)

Chitown · #**1226** Posted **Mar 12, 2007, 6:00 AM**

No, you two are wrong. That render is from the park directly east of Aqua; when you're right next to the building, the effect is greater. Trust me, when this thing's done, you can go stand there and it will look like that. Look at the roof line of Aqua, and imagine you follow it west toward Aon; when it hits where Aon stands, it's a good 300' below the roof, exactly where it should be. As it is, the far side of the roof is well below Aon.

honte · #**1227** Posted **Mar 12, 2007, 3:11 PM**

^ He might be right. Look at how tall Swissôtel looks in that shot. Heavy, heavy perspective.

Nowhereman1280 · #**1228** Posted **Mar 12, 2007, 3:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chitown

No, you two are wrong. That render is from the park directly east of Aqua; when you're right next to the building, the effect is greater. Trust me, when this thing's done, you can go stand there and it will look like that. Look at the roof line of Aqua, and imagine you follow it west toward Aon; when it hits where Aon stands, it's a good 300' below the roof, exactly where it should be. As it is, the far side of the roof is well below Aon.

Exactly, look at the lines. Also, note that Aqua is a very rectangular building and about one block long East to west, so no, the side you are seeing in that render is not just across the street from Aon, it is a block or more away...

i_am_hydrogen · #**1229** Posted **Mar 12, 2007, 4:54 PM**

I'm pretty sure Aqua is now officially under construction. I was just down there, but didn't have my cellphone or camera with me. What I saw looked exactly like this photo, except the drill rig was drilling down into a large, metal cylinder that is buried halfway into the ground:

Tom In Chicago · #**1230** Posted **Mar 12, 2007, 4:57 PM**

Yes. . . as of 11:20am this morning they began drilling the "first" caisson. . . it's safe to say that Aqua is under construction

I have a video uploading shortly. . . stay tuned. . .

Tom In Chicago · #**1231** Posted **Mar 12, 2007, 5:43 PM**

Here's a short video showing the caisson drilling from this morning. . .

http://www.sick-city.com/media/video/AQUA.MOV

Chitown · #**1232** Posted **Mar 12, 2007, 5:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom In Chicago

Here's a short video showing the caisson drilling from this morning. . .

http://www.sick-city.com/media/video/AQUA.MOV

As Sean Connery said in "Finding Forrester": you're the man now, dog.

Pandemonious · #**1233** Posted **Mar 12, 2007, 6:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chitown

No, you two are wrong. That render is from the park directly east of Aqua; when you're right next to the building, the effect is greater. Trust me, when this thing's done, you can go stand there and it will look like that. Look at the roof line of Aqua, and imagine you follow it west toward Aon; when it hits where Aon stands, it's a good 300' below the roof, exactly where it should be. As it is, the far side of the roof is well below Aon.

I was drunk the last time I looked at the rendering. Now that I see it again it does seem like it could be right. It is heavily perspectival, and one good indication is that the mechanical penthouse on AON center isn't visible. Also, the proportions of Aqua compared with Blue cross seems about right.

marcus · #**1234** Posted **Mar 12, 2007, 9:50 PM**

you know, I am really sorry for causing all of that. I seriously did not mean to

SolarWind · #**1235** Posted **Mar 13, 2007, 11:52 PM**

March 13, 2007

hi123 · #**1236** Posted **Mar 15, 2007, 10:52 PM**

Great pics solarwind!

simcityaustin · #**1237** Posted **Mar 16, 2007, 4:21 PM**

Tom, Solar, and Hydrogen, thanks for the greats pics and movie. Awesome that you guys take the time to do this!

Saber925 · #**1238** Posted **Mar 17, 2007, 2:50 AM**

Aqua has found a buyer for the ballroom/meeting space that is being built behind Swissôtel...appropriately it's Swissôtel!

Swissôtel to more than double conference space

By Eddie Baeb
Crain's Chicago Business
March 01, 2007

The Swissôtel Chicago is more than doubling its conference space and adding new rooms in a $47-million expansion that’s to begin later this year.
The hotel’s owner, Host Hotels & Resorts Inc., is buying space in the Aqua high-rise being built next to the hotel by Magellan Development Group LLC as part of the local developer’s Lakeshore East residential complex.

Host Hotels will use the space, which will be connected directly to the Swissôtel, for two ballrooms, a banquet kitchen, smaller meeting rooms and other public spaces, CEO Christopher Nassetta told analysts during a conference call last week.

The expansion will add almost 63,000 square feet of meeting space, compared with 27,000 square feet there now, and also allow the company to convert existing meeting space on the building’s third and fourth floors into 32 hotel rooms.

The Swissôtel, at 323 E. Wacker Drive, is one of six hotels owned here by Bethesda, Md.-based Host Hotels. With 632 rooms currently, the Swissôtel is the 14th-largest hotel in Chicago.

Mr. Nassetta says the expansion should be completed by early 2009. A company spokesman declines to comment.

Almost half of the project’s cost, about $23 million, is for purchasing the space in the Aqua tower from Magellan.

Construction of the 82-story Aqua tower is getting under way, says Magellan president David Carlins. The building is to include 263 condos, 34 floors of apartments, retail space and a hotel that’s to be owned by Chicago-based Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc.

Strategic’s hotel, expected to be a Fairmont, also will include a ballroom and meeting space, Mr. Carlins says.

If current trends continue, there may be plenty of business for both ballrooms.

Host Hotels says revenue per available room, a key gauge for full-service hotels, rose 15% last year in its North Central region. In a filing this week with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company says the increase was fueled by its six Chicago hotels, which “benefited from a significant increase in the number of city-wide convention events in 2006.”

bnk · #**1239** Posted **Mar 17, 2007, 3:45 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saber925

Aqua has found a buyer for the ballroom/meeting space that is being built behind Swissôtel...appropriately it's Swissôtel!

Swissôtel to more than double conference space

The Swissôtel Chicago is more than doubling its conference space and adding new rooms in a $47-million expansion that’s to begin later this year.
The hotel’s owner, Host Hotels & Resorts Inc., is buying space in the Aqua high-rise...

Host Hotels will use the space, which will be connected directly to the Swissôtel, for two ballrooms, a banquet kitchen, smaller meeting rooms and other public spaces,

The expansion will add almost 63,000 square feet of meeting space, compared with 27,000 square feet there now, and also allow the company to convert existing meeting space on the building’s third and fourth floors into 32 hotel rooms.

The Swissôtel, at 323 E. Wacker Drive, is one of six hotels owned here by Host Hotels. With 632 rooms currently, the Swissôtel is the 14th-largest hotel in Chicago.

Mr. Nassetta says the expansion should be completed by early 2009.

Almost half of the project’s cost, about $23 million, is for purchasing the space in the Aqua tower from Magellan.

Construction of the 82-story Aqua tower is getting under way. The building is to include 263 condos, 34 floors of apartments, retail space and a hotel...

Strategic’s hotel, expected to be a Fairmont, also will include a ballroom and meeting space.

If current trends continue, there may be plenty of business for both ballrooms.

Host Hotels says revenue per available room, a key gauge for full-service hotels, rose 15% last year in its North Central region. In a filing this week with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company says the increase was fueled by its six Chicago hotels, which “benefited from a significant increase in the number of city-wide convention events in 2006.”

Great news for Swiss hotel is a class act and I have stayed there personally a few times over the last year.

Ask for a lake view if you stay...

Chitown · #**1240** Posted **Mar 17, 2007, 4:30 AM**

I'm giddy at the prospect of this thing rising. Anyone have any idea of the time-frame until this thing starts going vertical?