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Construction started on the Chicago Spire


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An architectural tour of Chicago, with a knowledgable guide is a great way to spend a couple days. The buildings we often walk past are some of the most interesting. Amazingly innovative for their day. Many moons ago, FlaSoxxJim mentioned the Chicago style, it is sad in a way we've moved away from that and some of the new towers would fit in almost anywhere. But that is also Chicago style. The willingness to to take risks.

 

/homesick

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This city needed to start adding some new architecture to the skyline,I thought it was starting to fall behind the rest of the field.The Spire is going to be awesome and may become just as recognizable as the Sears Tower to tourists.

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QUOTE (Texsox @ May 12, 2008 -> 06:51 AM)
An architectural tour of Chicago, with a knowledgable guide is a great way to spend a couple days. The buildings we often walk past are some of the most interesting. Amazingly innovative for their day. Many moons ago, FlaSoxxJim mentioned the Chicago style, it is sad in a way we've moved away from that and some of the new towers would fit in almost anywhere. But that is also Chicago style. The willingness to to take risks.

 

/homesick

 

The really interesting thing is that without the great Chicago fire, the skyline and city design would look completely different. That event gave Chicago the chance to start over.

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QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 12, 2008 -> 08:20 AM)
The really interesting thing is that without the great Chicago fire, the skyline and city design would look completely different. That event gave Chicago the chance to start over.

 

So true. Taking a tragedy and turning into a positive is one thing that Chicagoans do so well. Just witness the Cubs lasting over 100 years.

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QUOTE (Controlled Chaos @ May 12, 2008 -> 08:24 AM)
This is just getting under way. 155 N Wacker. It's pretty cool walking past it every day and seeing the progress. From the demo to the finished product. I saw the UBS tower from demo to finish too....pretty cool stuff.

I got to watch UBS, as well as 11 S. Wacker and 101 S. Wacker (or whatever the addresses are of the NE and SE corners of Wacker and Monroe), both go up (I was working in 1 S. Wacker for years, until recently). I love the flowing lobby design they used at both Monroe/Wacker buildings.

 

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So, we got letters in my neighborhood last year, saying that the Alderman had approved this huge 90 unit condo building in the area. The building was going to be just south of Fullerton and just west of Damen, where some old industrial buildings had been, next to the Metra tracks. At first we were all a little leery, wondering how tall it would be, and if it would be Section 8 housing, etc. Then we found out what it is...

 

Chicago's first bottom-up "green" condo building. Wind power, green roof, newest energy systems, star-rated appliances, all that jazz. Interesting.

 

Image...

 

bldglrgclip.jpg

 

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QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ May 12, 2008 -> 08:38 AM)
So, we got letters in my neighborhood last year, saying that the Alderman had approved this huge 90 unit condo building in the area. The building was going to be just south of Fullerton and just west of Damen, where some old industrial buildings had been, next to the Metra tracks. At first we were all a little leery, wondering how tall it would be, and if it would be Section 8 housing, etc. Then we found out what it is...

 

Chicago's first bottom-up "green" condo building. Wind power, green roof, newest energy systems, star-rated appliances, all that jazz. Interesting.

 

Image...

 

bldglrgclip.jpg

Pretty cool.

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QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 12, 2008 -> 06:19 AM)
Another interesting project to watch is Blue Cross/Blue Shield getting 30ish more floors on top of its exsisting structure. Because of its locations right on the northern end of Millenium Park it is an easy one to watch the progress of.

I didn't know they were adding so many on to the Blue Cross/Blue Shield building. As of now, they have the framing for about 6 or 7 floors up.

 

Here's the rendering of the final product (taller than 340 on the Park):

bcbsfz2.jpg

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QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ May 12, 2008 -> 10:41 AM)
I didn't know they were adding so many on to the Blue Cross/Blue Shield building. As of now, they have the framing for about 6 or 7 floors up.

 

Here's the rendering of the final product (taller than 340 on the Park):

bcbsfz2.jpg

 

They have been framing a floor to two each week since the winter broke.

 

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QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ May 12, 2008 -> 11:41 AM)
I didn't know they were adding so many on to the Blue Cross/Blue Shield building. As of now, they have the framing for about 6 or 7 floors up.

 

Here's the rendering of the final product (taller than 340 on the Park):

bcbsfz2.jpg

Which building is it in the picture?

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QUOTE (Controlled Chaos @ May 12, 2008 -> 08:24 AM)
This is just getting under way. 155 N Wacker. It's pretty cool walking past it every day and seeing the progress. From the demo to the finished product. I saw the UBS tower from demo to finish too....pretty cool stuff.

 

155web11.jpg155web18.jpg

155web13.jpg

Right across the street from me basically. Im in 123 N wacker.

 

 

And to couple on to Steve's comment about taking a tour. I think the guided tours are kinda lame, but ive had the pleasure of taking a boat cruise around with engineers from a chicago developer and some of the facts of the city are awesome. Like there is a cow path through a building in the loop, how about how Boeing's building is cantilevered over the river and train tracks. BEST. CITY. EVER

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Pics of the Chicago skyline make me homesick. I would trade the entire state of Maryland, and maybe even DC and northern VA too for Chicago.

 

The first time I went to Baltimore I was walking around downtown with my then-girlfriend (now wife) and I asked her "so when are we getting to the part with the tall buildings?" She kind of stared at me like "uhh this is it, look around." :lol: the building look so much taller from far away. Compared to Chicago, where you can't even see the buildings behind each other when you're on State or Michigan.

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QUOTE (Jordan4life @ May 12, 2008 -> 08:12 PM)
The goal for completion is 2010, correct? I can't wait. The best skyline in the world gets that much better. Aren't there other building in the process of construction right now? And what's up with the Trump Tower? Has that been completed?

 

I kinda like the Shanghai skyline more, but to each their own :unsure:

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QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ May 12, 2008 -> 11:48 PM)
I personally dislike Shangai's skyline. Looks too futuristic. And the Christmas ornament looking things are fugly.

 

Have you actually been there or just going off pictures? Because I took a boat ride viewing the entire skyline and thought it was beautiful

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QUOTE (SoxFan101 @ May 13, 2008 -> 12:44 AM)
Have you actually been there or just going off pictures? Because I took a boat ride viewing the entire skyline and thought it was beautiful

No, I haven't been there. Going off pictures I've seen. I like Hong Kong's skyline much, much more.

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QUOTE (Jordan4life @ May 12, 2008 -> 08:12 PM)
The goal for completion is 2010, correct? I can't wait. The best skyline in the world gets that much better. Aren't there other building in the process of construction right now? And what's up with the Trump Tower? Has that been completed?

 

Trump Tower is not completed, though the hotel has been opened at the lower floors.

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QUOTE (RockRaines @ May 12, 2008 -> 02:08 PM)
Right across the street from me basically. Im in 123 N wacker.

 

 

And to couple on to Steve's comment about taking a tour. I think the guided tours are kinda lame, but ive had the pleasure of taking a boat cruise around with engineers from a chicago developer and some of the facts of the city are awesome. Like there is a cow path through a building in the loop, how about how Boeing's building is cantilevered over the river and train tracks. BEST. CITY. EVER

 

My best friend from HS and college is an architect. We didn't take a guided, packaged tour. It was more research and going to look. Spent most of the time walking.

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