Quote:
Originally Posted by JustStoppingBy
For everyone critiquing this structure and its curtain wall system for being too "bland," you ever think that Related or any developer for that matter are more concerned with how the people that are going to be paying for the space will think? If I was renting/buying, I sure as heck wouldn't care about a window detail that is 290' in the air from the outside...all I would be concerned with is one less mullion in my sight-line. That window on the 28th floor is where the ammenity/exercise rooms are going to be...isn't it nice to have less interruption in the windows then caring what it might look like to 15-20 people that will actually look at that area?
As far as the building, its a simple yet nice design. Its not my money, so not really going to criticize anything. If I want to whine, I would build my own building. I will take anything over the empty concrete structure that was sitting there for multiple years.
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You clearly don't understand what architectural criticism is. Of course it is not our money, that doesn't mean we can't lambaste Related for being the lazy, cheap ass, corner cutting developers that they are. This design may not be the worst design around, but it is a far cry from what I expect to be the minimum level of design for a city with a heritage like Chicago's. Of course it is not as heinous as AMLI River North, but it is also put to shame by the likes of Aqua, Optima, or any other of a multitude of better-designed towers around town.
The funny part is you are completely wrong about tenants and condo owners not caring what their building looks like. You would think that developers would have learned by now that even a little extra effort can get you a big edge over your competitors. Low-end-burg learned that lesson with Aqua (which was one of the most successful projects in the city over the past 5 or 6 years) and has shown a dedication to upper-tier design since. The Coast is about 10X better than this POS that Related shat out. Optima Chicago is commanding some of the highest rents downtown right now again partially because Hovey went with design and materials that are just a step above the 500 NLSD, 111 W Wacker, and AMLI set.
I've spoken with David Lynd who is the guy who developed EnV Tower before and he is very clear that high quality, modern, design is a big part of what made that project a huge success. He was able to build it, lease it out, and sell it in record time because the design was so attractive to the submarket of renters he was targeting. All of the biggest successes recently have had just a bit better design than the econoboxes thrown up by the likes of Related. The problem is not that design doesn't sell, it is that massive institutional developers like Related are lazy as hell and don't give a shit whether they make a 20% ROI or a 25% ROI when they just need a proforma showing a 12% required rate of return to their investors. Think about it, the people at Related who are actually running these projects do not have significant personal stakes in the project so they are only shooting to pass the class, not to get straight A's like Lowemburg, Hovey, or Lynd. These employees would rather take the easy, vanilla, route rather than step things up a notch and squeeze that next level of profits out of the project.
TLDR: You are wrong, design does sell, but Related is too lazy to give a shit.