3 Blocks, 5 Buildings, 18 Months Later
Back in April 2006 I posted a panorama of a small area in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood undergoing a bit of a high rise building binge. About a year and a half later -- while in town on a vacation over Thanksgiving -- the shifting skyline was starting to take shape, with cranes giving way to glassy exterior walls and approximately 1,000 residential units.
To reiterate from the earlier post, the five new condo towers include (from E-W; L-R in the large photo):
This view from the raised plaza adjacent to NBC Tower will be further crowded by the coming phases of Cityfront Plaza, which will finally steal the sunlight and views the Grand Ohio condos have been blessed with all these years. And interestingly, even though the Cor-Ten and gold-tinted glass Time-Life Building is out of direct sight in the view, it is apparent as a reflection in Jahn's curtain wall, with especially strong reflections from the gold windows on its base.
Who'd ever think so much development and money would be centered on land named after a founding "squatter"?
To reiterate from the earlier post, the five new condo towers include (from E-W; L-R in the large photo):
:: Avenue East by Built Form
:: 535 North St. Clair by Brininstool + Lynch
:: 600 North Fairbanks by Helmut Jahn
:: Cityfront Plaza by DeStefano + Partners
:: The Streeter (rentals) by Solomon Cordwell Buenz
This view from the raised plaza adjacent to NBC Tower will be further crowded by the coming phases of Cityfront Plaza, which will finally steal the sunlight and views the Grand Ohio condos have been blessed with all these years. And interestingly, even though the Cor-Ten and gold-tinted glass Time-Life Building is out of direct sight in the view, it is apparent as a reflection in Jahn's curtain wall, with especially strong reflections from the gold windows on its base.
Who'd ever think so much development and money would be centered on land named after a founding "squatter"?
You could also add the Parkview tower and Streeter II to that list.
ReplyDeleteThe second Streeter's going ahead? Good to see that some "twin towers" do happen after all, as I know Chicago is home to many planned ones that never happened (NBC Tower, Title and Trust, Kenzo Tange's AMA Tower, etc.).
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's under construction already. There is another set of twin towers by the same architect and developer planned to go on the old CBS studios.
ReplyDeleteWow. I lived in that neighborhood (445 E. Ohio) in the mid '90s and it sure has changed! Thanks for the annotated photo. But my favorite part of the neighborhood is the old mural under Michigan at Grand which appears in The Blue Brothers -- is it still there?
ReplyDeleteI believe it's still there, though thankfully the Built Form building has covered that damn whale mural.
ReplyDeleteI've lived at Grand and McClurg for six years, and I've never seen a mural at Grand/Michigan underpass. It's either been removed, or I'm not very observant. :)
ReplyDeletebandwagon smasher - It may not be your observation skills, but maybe years of dirt or the fact the mural is stuffed under Michigan Avenue that makes it easy to miss. As far as I know it's still there. Check out this video of the chase scene from Blues Brothers to see what anonymous is talking about. Zoom forward to 4:00 to see it.
ReplyDelete