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  #141  
Old Posted Aug 21, 2009, 12:59 PM
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Chicago Tribune
Cityscapes
Blair Kamin
August 20, 2009

What's 'that thing' atop the Aon Center? Three guesses: A) an antenna; B) a Homeland Security device; C) one of Mayor Daley's cameras

Never as architecturally distinguished as the former Sears Tower and the John Hancock Center, the Aon Center at least presented a vision of clean vertical lines, rising with aloof calm beside Grant Park.

But now, as sharp-eyed skyline watchers have noticed, a nasty little carbuncle has appeared on the roof of the 1,136-foot tower. About 85 feet tall, it resembles a cylinder stuck atop a flagpole. And people are wondering what it is.

"Do you know what it is used for?" e-mailed Tribune reader Matt Bergstrom of Chicago. "It does look strange up there and kind of ruins the boxy shape I'd resigned myself to."

Added reader Rich Johnson from Oak Park: "Do you know what that thing is that was added onto the Aon Building? Is it an antenna, a weather reading device, a Homeland Security device, or another camera courtesy of Mayor Daley? Whatever it is, it doesn't look good."

It's a communications antenna. Erected in July, the antenna has three transmitters, one of which is leased to Chicago radio station WDRV, according to Brooke Houghton, a spokeswoman for Jones Lang LaSalle, the tower's property manager.


"It brings additional revenue to the building," Houghton said. "We don't think it takes away from the iconic stature of the building or the aesthetics of the skyline."

She dismissed the idea that the Aon Center's owners installed the antenna to make up for the departure of major tenant and Kirkland & Ellis, a Chicago-based law firm, to a new riverfront skyscraper at 300 N. LaSalle St. The Aon Center is 92 percent leased, Houghton said, and recently signed tenants including Microsoft.

Whatever one thinks of the antenna, it apparently has taken one distinction away from the Aon Center. The Emporis building database (emporis.com) describes Aon as "the tallest building in the world without any major antennae, spires, or finials at the top."

Perhaps a rewrite is in order.


http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune....09/08/aon.html
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  #142  
Old Posted Aug 21, 2009, 2:04 PM
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I'm a little surprised that the city approved that piece of shit...
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  #143  
Old Posted Aug 21, 2009, 2:11 PM
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Perhaps they could use a black antenna to be the opposite of the black buildings with white antennas.
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  #144  
Old Posted Aug 21, 2009, 2:25 PM
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Wow, they really tried to make that as ugly as they could didn't they.
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  #145  
Old Posted Aug 22, 2009, 1:37 PM
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I picked C) Mayor Daley's cameras...I was wrong? I think there is a cover up here....





The Offender:
...but its still fricking beautiful...



...and at least it hides from the really close angles...

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  #146  
Old Posted Aug 25, 2009, 2:03 AM
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  #147  
Old Posted Aug 25, 2009, 3:19 AM
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Originally Posted by ChicagoChicago View Post


I'm a little surprised that the city approved that
What city agency do you think has the power to approve or disapprove something based on how it looks?
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  #148  
Old Posted Aug 25, 2009, 5:26 PM
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It looks hideous from the ground, but actually is not too bad from John Hancock tower. I just hope it could be higher...

taken from yesterday
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  #149  
Old Posted Dec 16, 2009, 4:31 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Downtown View Post
What city agency do you think has the power to approve or disapprove something based on how it looks?
Really? Are you honestly suggesting that this town doesn't have the power to police shit like this?

Last edited by ChicagoChicago; Dec 19, 2009 at 4:08 PM.
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  #150  
Old Posted Dec 16, 2009, 4:33 AM
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I.

Love.

The.

Aon Center.

Period.

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  #151  
Old Posted Dec 16, 2009, 4:39 AM
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Originally Posted by aspiringArchitect View Post
It's amazing how they were able to building something so TALL without ever having to step the floors back from each other.

WTC, JHC? (Although granted JHC does slope)
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  #152  
Old Posted Dec 16, 2009, 6:06 AM
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That radio tower they plopped up top this summer looks terrible. Put another one up to make it symmetrical, at least.
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  #153  
Old Posted Dec 17, 2009, 3:57 AM
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That tower reminds me so much of the WTC it's amazing and built in the same engineering fashion. I was just in Chicago 2 days ago and it's just an amazing city all around. I had not been there since 2005 due to medical problems so it was so amazing to see the change. I used to stay there a good bit.
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  #154  
Old Posted Dec 17, 2009, 3:50 PM
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I think the building adds a great accent to the skyline.
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  #155  
Old Posted Jan 25, 2010, 3:23 PM
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  #156  
Old Posted Jan 25, 2010, 3:57 PM
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^A great group of buildings. Nice shot.
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  #157  
Old Posted Feb 2, 2010, 9:14 PM
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probably my favorite white box, i like the verticality of it, but the grounds are kinda dated...
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  #158  
Old Posted Feb 3, 2010, 1:10 AM
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george, yours came out much better than mine:



other angle:

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  #159  
Old Posted Feb 3, 2010, 9:02 PM
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by me
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  #160  
Old Posted Apr 9, 2010, 2:03 PM
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