CHICAGO | General Developments - Page 672

EarlyBuyer · #**13421** Posted **Sep 11, 2011, 4:35 AM**

Great photo's harry. Details for us to hold onto one this building is gone.

J_M_Tungsten · #**13422** Posted **Sep 11, 2011, 6:49 AM**

I don't know, I mean, aside from some of the deteriorating ornate details, it looks like a couple of old brick warehouse buildings to me. I guess it all depends what they are putting on the site to make me feel like any kind of loss or not has happened. They have plenty of better examples of these style of buildings throughout the city. I personally really like the old warehouse look, and usually prefer to see them updated rather than demolished, but there really isn't anything too special about these that makes them worth saving.

ardecila · #**13423** Posted **Sep 11, 2011, 10:53 AM**

Chicago led the world in the development of industrial architecture. The entire Chicago School stems from the need of Chicago businessmen for an economical architecture, using the land intensively, that nonetheless conveyed stability and power.

Every time we lose more of these historic buildings, it just destroys one of Chicago's greatest contributions to world culture. There may be warehouses scattered throughout the city, but nobody's gonna go out to McKinley Park or Garfield Park to see one isolated warehouse or factory.

I could stomach it if these warehouses were the sacrificial lamb to save Prentice, but Northwestern refuses to consider any scenarios that don't result in Prentice's demolition.

ardecila · #**13424** Posted **Sep 11, 2011, 10:53 AM**

Chicago led the world in the development of industrial architecture. The entire Chicago School stems from the need of Chicago businessmen for an economical architecture, using the land intensively, that nonetheless conveyed stability and power.

Every time we lose more of these historic buildings, it just destroys one of Chicago's greatest contributions to world culture. There may be warehouses scattered throughout the city, but nobody's gonna go out to McKinley Park or Garfield Park to see one isolated warehouse or factory.

BWChicago · #**13425** Posted **Sep 11, 2011, 3:36 PM**

Adler and Sullivan built a lot of warehouses too, many which didn't have this degree of detail.

emathias · #**13426** Posted **Sep 12, 2011, 2:11 AM**

Anyone know what these developments are?

37th and Vincennes

And the ones in the vicinity of there.

Since so many of the new buildings in that area have green roofs, they seem institutional, but are they CHA or something else?

EDIT: Found it, Oakwood Shores Seems like an interesting development, fairly urban in design. Seems to be missing a commercial component, though.

Rizzo · #**13427** Posted **Sep 12, 2011, 2:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J_M_Tungsten

I don't know, I mean, aside from some of the deteriorating ornate details, it looks like a couple of old brick warehouse buildings to me. I guess it all depends what they are putting on the site to make me feel like any kind of loss or not has happened. They have plenty of better examples of these style of buildings throughout the city. I personally really like the old warehouse look, and usually prefer to see them updated rather than demolished, but there really isn't anything too special about these that makes them worth saving.

It has less to do with the merits of the building itself and more with its contribution to a neighborhood of diverse architecture....which unfortunately is greatly lacking in Streeterville.

Certainly we have to make choices for a city to grow as to what stays and what goes, but that should have been thought about when all these garages went up that could have been supporting buildings above them.

harryc · #**13428** Posted **Sep 13, 2011, 2:38 AM**

Cantina Laredo - Modern Mexican

J_M_Tungsten · #**13429** Posted **Sep 13, 2011, 3:02 AM**

^^^It reminds me of a place in downtown Naperville.

eaguir3 · #**13430** Posted **Sep 13, 2011, 3:08 AM**

short and beige, just what chicago needs

Mr Downtown · #**13431** Posted **Sep 13, 2011, 4:04 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila

What about the existing curtain wall to the left? [at the south end of the Bond Building] Is that also being refurbished?

I had to go back and double-check. It looks to me as if they're refinishing the metal on that system, but not replacing it.

The frit I mentioned on the new glass turns out to be the words of the Declaration of Independence, turned on an angle as an homage to the Sol LeWitt sculpture on the west well of the Benson & Rixson Building.

—from a Blair Kamin blog entry on the project

LanvinHomme · #**13432** Posted **Sep 13, 2011, 8:31 AM**

The Topshop is really nice inside and outside
so happy

J_M_Tungsten · #**13433** Posted **Sep 14, 2011, 1:29 AM**

1225 N Wells

9-13

I like how they didn't screw the neighboring building and build a wall at the street front.

J_M_Tungsten · #**13434** Posted **Sep 14, 2011, 1:32 AM**

I know there was talk about cornice work the other week. Here's a cool example of a copper one going in on Wells, about a block north of the 1225 N Wells project.
9-13

Rizzo · #**13435** Posted **Sep 14, 2011, 6:07 AM**

Wow, since I was last by their the Grossinger development has really picked up some height.

Baronvonellis · #**13436** Posted **Sep 14, 2011, 6:32 PM**

Is there any reason for a copper cornice? Don't they get painted over? Or are they going to leave it exposed. Couldn't a fiber glass or aluminum cornice be made for alot cheaper than copper? It would look the same if painted.

emathias · #**13437** Posted **Sep 14, 2011, 7:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baronvonellis

Is there any reason for a copper cornice? Don't they get painted over? Or are they going to leave it exposed. Couldn't a fiber glass or aluminum cornice be made for alot cheaper than copper? It would look the same if painted.

I don't think they'd paint a copper one.

And I haven't seen any green paint that really looks like weathered copper except at the most casual of glances (I even saw an egregiously bad imitation of copper-green paint a couple weeks ago in Bronzeville).

There may be other reasons to get metal cornices. My building has a zinc one, for example. It looks nice, and I'm pretty sure it could last 100 years, with only occasional, minimal repairs. Fiberglass might make it 30 or 40, but after that how does it fare?

Rizzo · #**13438** Posted **Sep 14, 2011, 11:23 PM**

The copper is usually primed then painted. Copper lasts a very long time. It can also be exposed to give a green patina look.

J_M_Tungsten · #**13439** Posted **Sep 15, 2011, 12:35 AM**

I read copper can take up to 20 years to reach the desired greenish color naturally, but it is possible to speed up the process with chemical sprays.

Nowhereman1280 · #**13440** Posted **Sep 15, 2011, 2:08 PM**

For what it's worth, the Big Ten is working on buying a new piece of land in the O'Hare area to construct a new Headquarters building. They currently are located at Higgins and River Road in a podunk little building. From what I hear, revenue from the Big Ten Network is driving the project and it will include a "hall of fame" type exhibit. The building won't be too huge (maybe a touch over 50,000), but it could be an interesting project to keep our eyes on.

They are working with Ratio Architects out of Indianapolis. Ratio does so pretty decent work, but nothing to awe-inspiring. Website here: http://www.ratioarchitects.com/index.cfm