Chicago has always considered itself to be the birthplace of modern architecture, even though it's only recently bothered to preserve the important buildings in the development of modernism. After the Sears Tower was completed in 1974 the city underwent a prolonged aesthetic slump, but now the city is on a hot streak architecturally, notwithstanding a few duds like the fat man in the bathtub renovation of Soldiers Field.
The trio of supertalls currently under construction have been getting a lot of press lately, and Chicago Magazine looks at ten distinguished smaller-scaled buildings completed since 2000. Overall, it's a good list, although, of course, one could quarrel with some of the choices and oversights. One glaring omission is Rem Koolhaas's McCormick Tribune Campus Center at IIT. The more I see of Perkins + Wills' Boeing Building, the more I like it.
Here are a few brief observations on some of the buildings on the Chicago list.
The Contemporaine (2006), Perkins + Will. This building is only a few blocks from where I work, and I must have walked past it a dozen times before I happened to glance up and saw what a remarkable building it is. It's the best residential building in River North, by far, but it doesn't relate well to the street. The exterior is forbidding, even a little grubby, especially on the Grand Street side. And the street-level store, which sells vintage Swedish modern furniture, is cramped and dark. But above street level, it's a great building. Judging from the profusion of plants that overflow the balconies, the residents really like living there. Ralph Johnson, the principal designer of the building, has another striking building at 1 N. Halsted. |
The Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies (2007), Krueck & Sexton Architects. I haven't made it over to Michigan Avenue yet to check this building out, but it's already gotten a lot of attention. Considering it's the premier street in the city, Michigan Avenue doesn't have much good architecture. Stanley Tigerman's Gap Store is an exception, and the Spertus Institute may be another, although it may also be an ordinary building with a quirky facade. It's worth checking out once it's finished. |
The Sofitel (2002), Jean-Paul Viguier, architect. This building is the best of the new lux hotels, although I like the Park Hyatt more than some of the critics I've read. The Sofitel is clean and elegant, like Richard Meier's best buildings. The interior, though, is another matter. My wife and I looked at the Sofitel for our wedding reception. The cheesy main staircase and ballrooms reminded my wife, who lived in France for a year, of the tacky socks French men like to wear. Still, the exterior is what Chicago's W hotels would like to be, but aren't. |
Jay Pritzker Music Pavilion (2004), Frank Gehry, architect. I don't know--I don't think this is such a great building. Sitting in the stands under the canopy is nice enough, if only because one can say, "we have curlicues of our own, just like Bilbao and LA!" To be fair, I would imagine a bandshell is a tough shape to work with, and Gehry's effort is a lot better than the old Petrillo bandshell. Standing outside the Pavilion, though, the swirls look like cheap theatrical props. Whatever effect Gehry was going for with his signature design motif totally vanishes once you step out into Millennium Park. A great building should be great from every angle, not just from the one the architect prefers. |
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