A couple of events to bring you up to speed on greening your own place of residence:
The Chicago Architecture Foundation's exhibit "Green with Desire: Can We Live Sustainably in Our Homes?" is entering into its last month of display at the CAF's building at 224 South Michigan Avenue. One of the most engaging aspects of the exhibit are the case studies of eight typical Chicago housing types and how they employed green housing strategies. In addition, the CAF has a list of several upcoming events centered on architecture and environmental sustainability. Exhibit runs through September 5.
The Museum of Science and Industry is boasting the "greenest house in Chicago" with their Smart Home, Green + Wired exhibit. Resting the the museum's backyard, the sheik, modern structure examples various advances in prefabrication and buildings control systems. Ubiquitous green building measures such as solar panels and a vegetative roof are also highlighted. Exhibit runs through January.
- Carl Giometti |
The Chicago Tribune architecture writer, Blair Kamin, features an article contrasting Beijing's Olympic architectural strategies to those proposed by the Chicago 2016 team.
Beijing's Olympic architectural identity can probably best be understood under the influence of some significant hallucinogenics. Seriously though, as Kamin explains, China's federal funding free-for-all has allowed the Beijing 2008 committee to complete some of the most aggressive building projects conceived. For instance, the swimming pavilion is appropriately nicknamed the "Water Cube" as it is covered by advanced plastics stretch of a metal frame. The various structures portray such a surreal quality that it is difficult to convince your eyes that the images is not a poorly executed photoshop project and are, in fact, real places. One has to wonder if the effort to display these buildings as evidence of an emerging "Chinese" style of modern life will play as anything more than a series of fantastical exhibits in what is, regardless of the Olympics, a growing center of urban culture.
Chicago's Olympic plans focus significantly on stitching patches into areas of a broken urban fabric. Rather than emphasizing marquee, sparkling buildings, the 2016 committee is taking its impetus from the Barcelona Olympic games well-documented rejuvenation. Infrastructure improvements, conversions to public housing and the expanding of access to the lakefront are all parallels to the highly successful Catalonian games. As Kamin correctly points out, these vital efforts are often completed without the pizzaz and architectural star-power of an abstract, net-like stadium.
While Beijing's Olympic operation is actually quite separate from the healthy collection of marquee buildings the city already possesses, the Chicago proposal calls for highlighting the existing beauty of the lakefront skyline. While the skyline would serve as a beautiful backdrop, the IOC's technical review of Chicago 2016's plan states, quite clearly, that the excitement factor for the Chicago 2016's building and transportation program leaves quite a bit wanting.
- Carl Giometti |
While the CTA struggles with an outdated train system, at least their stations don't look it. In addition to the Grand Red Line station and several Brown Line stations, the Howard Street Station's new modern self has almost been completed. The platform maintains the warm, massive industrial feel experienced at other newly renovated stations such as the Chicago, Brown line. The entryway, however, possesses clean lines with a cool glass and aluminium panelled facade. In addition, the new entryway hugs the sidewalk and creates the strong, well-scaled streetwall that is so valuable in creating a functioning city street. Regardless, the true achievement is turning a dingy, urine-stentched building into a modern transporation terminal that transit-nerds so greatly admire in Asia and Europe.
(Photo by Graham Garfield via www.chicago-l.org)
For pictures and detailed info, check out www.chicago-l.org's webpage on the station.
- Carl Giometti |
Robie House in Hyde Park, Home & Studio in Oak Park, Taliesin in Spring Green and ... a Phillips 66 in Cloquet?
It may seem unbelievable but Frank Lloyd Wright actually designed a gas station in the small Minnesota town of Cloquet. According to the Chicago Tribune, it is celebrating 50 years of Wrightian glory with a Symposium host by AIA Minnesota. The article states that the design concept is a result of Wright's plan for a town titled "Broadacre City". However, the aesthetic of the station most closely resembles his Beth Sholom Synagogue in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. Given that both structures were completed in the late 1950's, both structures give a glipse into Wright's increasingly Modern sensibility associated with his Usonian period.
For more information on the Frank Lloyd Wright Symposium, download the brochure here.
- Carl Giometti |
The Art Institute of Chicago, in a press release, has announced that the opening day of the Modern Wing will be May 16, 2009. The addition, designed by Renzo Piano, will allow the Art Institute to greatly expand its display of Modern and Contemporary artwork. Admission will be waived for one week following the opening which will not only welcome the new gallery space but the Nichols Bridgeway, Griffin Court and several other public and education facilities. Paired with the new installations from the museum's permanent collection will be the inaugural exhibit Cy Twombly: The Natural World, Selected Works 2001-2007.
The mammoth 264,000 square foot, three story addition will feature works from European artists after 1900 on the top level. The second floor will house the permanent collections of Contemporary artists such as Andy Warhol, Gerhard Richter, and others. Additional second floor space will be given to Institutes collection of architecture and design. On the lowest floor will be photography exhibition spaces as well as a space for new media works, referred to as a "black box".
As Piano's brilliant building begins to be finished, check back here for images and information.
- Carl Giometti |
The University of Chicago Law School's Eero Saarinen designed Laird Bell Quadrangle got a laudatory write up by Blair Kamin following the completion of the renovation and expansion of the complex.
- David Schalliol |
While life in the Soviet Union was difficult for the general populous, it was anything but for the architects of the defunct Communist state. Massive infrastructure and building projects kept commissions and creativity flowing. The Chicago Architecture Foundation, on July 10th, opened a photograph exhibit displaying some of the building projects that shaped the Modernist aesthetic.
Unlike the balance of Soviet architecture, the exhibit seeks to highlight the particular building projects that were constructed based upon a set of ideals, rather than the utilitarian needs of housing as many people as quickly as possible. Analyzed within the spirit of it's age, the buildings stand as heros to the glory of industry and a refute to the stylized, stagnant decoration that turn of the century architects associated with old class structures and formal society.
The exhibit will run to October 3rd and is located at the CAF, John Buck Lecture Hall Gallery. To visit the CAF webpage about this exhibit, click here.
- Carl Giometti |
As the towers along Roosevelt Road rise, appending the South Loop to the Chicago skyline, the focal point may now be in place. One Museum Park (OMP) of the Central Station development is not yet completed but has already anchored itself in postcard pictures and panoramas for years to come. Designed by Chicago firm Papageorge/Haymes, the building is a clever response to the problem of design a building that is shaped by concept but maintaining economic viability. For this lakefront building, economic viability can be summed up in one word, views.
Photo credit: Butler V. Adams
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- Carl Giometti |
Last Tuesday, Logan Square residents met with Alderman Manny Flores and city planning officials to discuss a draft of the Milwaukee Avenue Corridor Plan, the Chicago Journal reports.
Some resident organizations acted surprised to here that the planned called for building densely surrounding the transportation nodes that exist in the First Ward neighborhood. Sally Hamann of the Greater Goethe Neighborhood Association apparently never equated density with building height. However, Alderman Flores supports a more intense use of the land as a "green" building practice. He asks, rhetorically, "Are we going to commit to sustainability? If we are going to do it, we have to commit and not be afraid of it."
The plan emerged from multi-year effort from outside consultants and community members alike. Public meetings and design sessions yielded the following report ,accessible from the Center for Neighborhood Technology website.
As the Logan Square area continues to emerge several more planning documents are sure to be crafted. A previous plan focuses on maintaining and developing the open areas on the northwest side.
- Carl Giometti |
The Joffrey Ballet is in the process of moving into a beautiful new home at State and Randolph. The soaring steel and glass building, a Smithfield Properties development originally named MoMo (short for Modern Momentum), is now officially called the Joffrey Tower. Still, “momentum” remains a great word to describe this move: The new headquarters will provide the Joffrey with plenty of room to continue recruiting, training, and developing as a company.
The space features offices, a street-level box office, a black-box theatre, and six airy dance studios where rehearsing ballet dancers will be visible from the street below. These facilities will also contribute to a more unified organization: For years, the administration and performers have operated out of separate buildings, but now they will be based under the same roof.
The new 54-foot high Joffrey Ballet sign, recently mounted to the side of the building, will be illuminated for the first time this evening (Monday, June 30). A grand opening celebration for the Joffrey Tower is set for September.
- Laura Pearson |
We had written earlier about Louis Tiffany's (middle name: Comfort) dome in the Chicago Cultural Center. The restoration is nearly complete. In addition to the mass amounts of silver and gold leaf work, each piece of crystal-embedded glass is being cleaned, repairs or, if needed, replaced. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the project is that the dome will glow from natural sunlight beaming through it.
While the restoration will reveal the dome in its original light, the effort has revealed truth behind an old myth. Rumors have long circulated the city that the dome was encased in concrete to prevent internal illumination glowing during World War II "black-outs". Research discovered that the dome was enclosed because of engineers' concerns for water leakage damaging the buildings interior.
Check out some amazing progress pictures here!
- Carl Giometti |
An international archicture firm has declared Chicago the best American city for architecture and design. RMJM Hillier, the North-American branch of global firm RMJM, evaluated cities with populations of 500,000 or more and created a list of ten candidates based on criteria like architecture awards received, the prevalence of "green design," and the number of employees in creative industries. Residents of those ten cities were polled by Zogby International for their opinions on their city's public transit systems, green spaces, and encouragement of creative activities The poll results were then incorporated with the quantitative research to determine the rankings.
And unlike in this poll of America's top art cities, Chicago came in first and New York second. For more information on the survey methodology and results, the Tribune architecture blog has a PDF copy of HMJM's report.
- Jamie Smith |
As first reported by the Chicago Tribune's Blair Kamin, world class architects Zaha Hadid and Ben van Berkel will be designing temporary pavilions for the Centennial Celebration of the Chicago Plan. Continuing what is sure to be an onslaught of articles, exhibits and events celebrating the historic document, the selection of Hadid and Berkel is sure to get the architecture community excited. This will be both architects' first foray into Chicago. The exhibits, as stated in the press release from the University of Chicago, will be installed next summer and fall in Millenium Park. Few design details were released but the exhibit will incorporate video displays explaining the history of the plan and how it may shape the future.
Other celebration events are in the planning stages. Currently listed on the Celebration's website, programs begin in March and revolve around commentary, recent work, and "the next 100 years." Check back here for more details on specific events as they are released.
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- Carl Giometti |
For my next few posts, I thought I would post some of the large scale urban development plans that are in their early stages. Previously, I looked at the Gateway project at Central Station. Next post, I'll look at the preliminary ideas for the South Chicago, South Works site.
A quick Googling of "Lake Meadows, Chicago" will not lead to much information regarding a new urban development project. Most of what comes up looks very much like a fully occupied, long completed apartment complex. That is because it is. Property managers and developers, Draper and Kramer, is seeking to raze the entire complex roughly located at 35th & Cottage Grove. As one might expect, the residents are not thrilled.
Below, conceptual rendering of the proposed redevelopment.
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- Carl Giometti |
The Art Institute's Modern Wing isn't slated to open until next year, but Blair Kamin got an exclusive walkthrough with the building's designer: Renzo Piano. By the way, I really want those blue foam mock-ups of the Brancusi sculptures.
- David Schalliol |
Architect Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill have been quietly drumming up support for what they consider the last missing element to Daniel Burnham's famous Chicago Plan, the Chicago Tribune reports. Burnham's plan called for the creation of a land bridge connecting the two major peninsular elements of the shoreline, Navy Pier and Museum Campus. Smith and Gill have take the century old idea and redesigned it in the spirit of contemporary design and construction. Formulated to be an "Eco-Bridge" the project would allow people the ability to walk out into the lake and have a head-on view of the skyline. In addition, an observation tower would promise to create one of the most scenic vantage points in any city. Making the development ecologically beneficial, the project would provide vegetative habitats for lake fish and a series of wind turbines to help generate electricity.
The project is certainly in its speculative stages right now but could become a real possibility if the Chicago Olympic Committee is looking for a dynamic way to improve upon its bid. The International Olympic Committee criticized Chicago 2016 for not proposing measures that would leave a significant legacy. An environmentally sustainable, sure to be world-wide tourist attraction that harkens back the city's infancy should put the bid over the edge.
As Architect Smith states, "Now all we need is a billion dollars." I can't tell you how many times I've said that about a project!
- Carl Giometti |
For my next few posts, I thought I would post some of the large scale urban development plans that are in their early stages. Next post, the redevelopment of Lake Meadows.
Think the development in the South Loop can't get more intense? Think again. In a recent update to his book, Central Station: Realizing a Vision, visionary developer Gerald Fogelson details what the future holds for "Chicago's most successful lakefront development." In addition to completing the street wall of towers along Roosevelt Road, between Michigan Avenue and Indiana Avenue, Fogelson explains early concepts for the remaining "land" in the Central Station area. Why the "land" in quotes? Because the Gateway development would be built entirely on air rights.
Located over the railroad tracks, from Roosevelt Road to 18th Street, approximately 12 towers will be constructed consisting of 5,000 new residences or hotel rooms, 500,000 sq.ft. of retail, and 2 million square feet of office space. The approximate total cost of the development is $4 billion.
View look north showing the Olympic venues on Northerly Island, the pedestrian bridge, and the Olympic Village towards the lower left of the image.
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- Carl Giometti |
The Daily Northwestern is reporting that Laurence Booth will be the university's first "Distinguished Architect in Residence" as the school seeks to establish its new undergraduate architecture program. In addition to Booth, several other current NU professors will offer classes in architecture history, design, and engineering. The new program will be under the auspices of the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science as further detailed in the school's magazine.
Demand for an architecture program was the main motivator for the university. The chair of the engineering school's advisory board, Richard Halpern explains, "Very often we see good prospective students, who we’d like to have come here, but they’d like an architectural component. We think we may have lost some students because we didn’t offer such a program." Halpern's involvement with the program extends beyond advisory to benefactor. As cofounder of the construction consulting firm RISE International, Halpern and his wife Madeline generously donated to help jump-start this field of study.
There is no word yet as to whether Northwestern will seek NAAB accreditation (National Architecture Accreditation Board) or if the ultimate goal of the program is to offer the Master of Architecture degree. The current goal of the program will be to prepare architecture students to continue their education elsewhere at the graduate level, to attain the Master's degree necessary for licensure.
Tapping Booth (who, somewhat ironically, is at the center of controversy in Evanston for the planned tower at Fountain Square) as a resource almost immediately helps give the program some legitimacy among the area's other prolific architecture schools. Hopefully, the program at Northwestern will flourish, increasing Chicago as a destination, not only to view great works of architecture, but for the education of an architect, as well.
- Carl Giometti |
Chicago developer Al Friedman is planning to construct a 900-stall parking garage at Clark and Kinze, Crain's reports. Departing from the pattern of the typical gray, derelict structure, this garage implements design details such as backlit glazing and, ironically enough, sustainable building practices. Mr. Friedman expounds, "Usually a garage is a staid, ordinary structure. We didn't want that. We didn't want a garage that looked like a garage...At the same time we’re trying to acknowledge that the car is a central part of society. A garage is the antithesis of 'green' so we asked 'How can we make it as green as possible?' We wanted to blend aesthetics and still let people know it's a public parking garage."
As part of its green features, the garage will utilize natural ventilation, electricity generating wind turbines, electric car plug-in stations, a bike locker room and a green roof.
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- Carl Giometti |
As Merger David Schalliol listed yesterday, the Michigan Avenue Street wall has been added to the National Trust for Historic Presevation’s 11 Most Endangered Places.
On the Trust’s website they have a brief article summarizing some of the threats to various buildings along the street wall. Two projects of note were the new 71 story condominium building (The Legacy at Millennium Park, currently under construction) and the Chicago Athletic Association Building, where a proposal to add additional stories above has been met with obvious resistance. Preservationists are mostly concerned with the precedent that would be set if developers are allow to peel away a building while maintaining only the façade. As Richard Moe, president of the Trust, states, “The threat to the Chicago Athletic Club particularly and the Michigan Avenue Streetwall more broadly represents the problems such intense development pressures pose on our architectural heritage.”
However, the preservation game is much more difficult than that…
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- Carl Giometti |
The University of Chicago unveiled the design for an addition to the to the Joseph Regenstein Library Monday. Imagined by Helmut Jahn, the library is almost entirely submerged into the ground except for a hemisphere of glass. The addition, set to be completed in 2010, will possess a high-density, automated book storage and retrieval system allowing the university to finally maintain their entire collection on campus. In addition to the new building project, the University of Chicago will also be participating in the Google Book Search program to help digitize selected volumes. The building will cost an estimated $80 milion, of which Morningstar Inc. CEO and wife, Joe and Rika Mansueto are donating $25 million.
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- Carl Giometti |
From the Architecture & Design Society of the Art Institute:
"On Thursday, May 15th, Richard Rogers, 2007 Pritzker Prize Laureate will be speaking at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Richard Rogers, of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, has had a long, distinguished, and influential career in architecture. He trained as an architect at the Architectural Association School in London and then at Yale as a Fulbright Scholar. The Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris (1971-77), which he designed in partnership with Renzo Piano, brought him considerable notoriety due to its groundbreaking design which took the interior structure, pedestrian circulation, and mechanical systems¬--normally housed on the inside of a building--and placed them on the outside, freeing up internal space for exhibition galleries. It is indicative of a style that, in the architect's words, embraces "buildings...which are what we call legible-you can read how the building is put together."
Although the site has been down every time I visited it, for more info and to register go here.
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- Carl Giometti |
Alderman Robert Fioretti has created a local Citizen Advisory Committee to weigh in on South Loop building proposals. The article, appearing in the Chicago Journal, states that as part of the Ald. Fioretti’s decision making process, he will now weigh the opinion of this collection of pseudo-randomly selected residents.
How does one join this committee?
According to the article emails were sent to all those in their database consisting of Fioretti campaign contributors, people who signed up for information about the campaign through its Web site and people who have given their email address to the alderman at one of his community meetings,…” (see note below) Hannah Jubeh, Fioretti’s campaign manager continues to assert that the CAC will “bring (developers) in and reeducate them on how the process is going to work." While some community oversight is important, the CAC seems to be little more than an instrument for Fioretti to play architect. A committee stacked with his supporters will allow him to feign local support or angst for whichever project he would like.
Just as music cannot be reviewed by looking at the sheet music alone, architecture suffers when its creation is stymied before its execution even begins. New ideas must be able to be constructed and suceed or fail on their own merit. Only then can meaningful criticism take place. Fioretti has already attempted to stop one of the most forward thinking designs to be proposed for the quasi-historicist South Loop. Thankfully, Lucien Lagrange’s XO condominium project will continue despite the objections of another “community” organization, the Prairie District Neighborhood Alliance.
(Note: I am 2nd ward resident who submitted an email and mailed several letters to the alderman's office over the past year. I was not on the email database, by mistake, I'm sure.)
- Carl Giometti |
The Chicago Children's Museum intends to find out. Or perhaps it's "how low do we have to go?"
The new design for the relocated museum was released on Friday and has done little to change the attitudes of any involved. Perhaps the only real change that has happened is that the museum design, by sinking even further into the ground, has robbed architecture firm Kruek & Sexton a real opportunity to design a dynamic piece of architecture.
Removed from the design were any skylights or elements that protruded above the current ground plain at Daley Bicentennial Plaza. The entrance has been reduced of some of its splendor to further tuck it into the underground museum.
This whole development is quite puzzling. Personally, I cannot really understand what the great value in this location is to the Chicago Children's Museum. Clearly, there are better locations abound, as somewhat demonstrated by the Chicago Tribune's continuing articles featuring alternative locations for the museum (Option 1, Option 2, Option 3, Option 4, Option 5, Option 6). Normally, it can be difficult to side with certain "community" organizations that tend to be a place for people to massage their egos rather than provide meaningful activism. However, in this instance, there has not been one critque offered that has been untrue.
Mayor Daley's record at encouraging great architecture has been very strong up to this point, here's hoping that everyone can cooperate to create a new landmark public building for the City of Chicago.
- Carl Giometti |
Even though the $170 million dollar renovation will not be completed until later this year, Looptopians will get a chance to catch a sneek preview of the Palmer House Hilton this Friday, Crain's reports. The hotel, located between Wabash and State on Monroe, will be hosting events from 10pm until 5am.
The Palmer House Hilton will be the second major hotel renovation to complete this year, and like the Blackstone Hotel, the designers have intended to give the building a "contemporary" update. At the Blackstone this meant stupendously restoring all the historic design elements of the walls and ceilings and then adding, less stupendously, modern carpet designs. Hopefully, the designers exercise some restraint with the common areas to retain their fidelity to the original and use the individual rooms as their opportunity to show some design flair. Either way, those rooms will be difficult to come by as hotel operators are expecting bookings to be exceptional for the pseudo "white night" celebration.
- Carl Giometti |
Back in the good old days of architecture, buildings used to be breathtakingly ornamented. Effort is currently underway to restore the impressive Tiffany Glass dome at the Chicago Cultural Center. If you stop by on May 21st at 6 p.m., the project team from Evanston will be there to discuss the technical and historical details of the project (call 312.744.6630 for more information). Currently, the dome can be viewed from the perimeter of the room while the restoration is underway. In addition, several of the glass pieces have been replaced with temporary plastic panels.
The dome, pre-restoration.
The project is extraordinary for several reasons. Perhaps most significantly, the restoration will once again allow natural light to illuminate the ornate 'jewels' inserted in the panes. It is increasingly rare to find a Tiffany glass ceiling of this size that has not been encased and artificially lit. The metal frame will also be polished and refinished to insure that the whole ceiling sparkles radiantly. The restoration will be completed in late June.
- Carl Giometti |
Whenever a new urban space is proposed centered around an example from Rome, one tends to nod emphatically or roll your eyes disgustedly. Unfortunately, the later tends to occur more frequently. Rome is certainly a treasure trove of lessons in urban form and after 2000 years of allowing other cities to catch up, still possesses some of the most interesting public spaces, anywhere. However, when a Roman element is to be grafted on to another city’s body, care needs to be taken that the element’s recipient doesn’t reject the implant.
Top notch land use professionals from the Chicago Chapter of the Urban Land Institute joined with other city organizations such as, the Chicago Loop Alliance and the Department of Planning to propose solutions to enhance the portion of North Michigan Avenue between the Chicago River and Randolph Street.
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- Carl Giometti |
...must have hired Mies van der Rohe.
The Chicago Architecture Foundation has just announced tickets for a comprehensive tour of of Mies's work in the Chicago area. The tour culminates at the iconic Farnsworth House in Plano, Illinois. Throughout the seven hour tour, you will be taken on a virtual time-line of Modern masterpieces. The tour will be guided by CAF docents whom, from personal experience, are always exceptionally informative. Each tour starts at 9:30 a.m. and they have dates on Thursdays and Sundays through October.
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- Carl Giometti |
It is too bad that other historic pieces of Chicago architecture don't receive this kind of attention...
Super-architecture sleuth, Blair Kamin, wrote an article in today's Tribune argues that his own company may have skirted city permit requirements to install a yellow CBOE sign on a protected portion of Wrigley Field's brick wall. The Tribune Company is arguing that the sign is in fact "a sticker" and is an alteration too insignificant to warrant city review. As a result, the city is now investigating whether or not the Cubs completed work without proper permit authority.
The most ridiculous outcome of this article is not that city hall will now spend time figuring out whether or not the Tribune Company violated any city ordinances; it is that this article was even written. Certainly there has to be a more intriguing architectural topic that a 2 foot by 3 foot sign on a brick wall.
- Carl Giometti |
Somewhere in the French Riviera, famed Modern architect Le Corbusier is turning in his grave. As the Chicago Housing Authority is undergoing its Plan for Transformation, the Dearborn Homes are being used as one of their “relocation resources." To make the experience more palpable for displaced Cabrini-Green and Robert Taylor residents, renovations are currently taking place to the 68 year old buildings at 2960 South Federal.
Designed by an architect who assuredly worshiped Le Corbusier, public housing administrators were convinced that elegant towers in parks of green grass would renew (or at least contain) the urban poor. Along with most other CHA projects from that era, the development suffered terrible crime, runaway poverty, and blight. As a result, the CHA has long abandoned Le Corbusier and other early 20th century thinkers for...
...early 17th century thinkers.
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- Carl Giometti |
