Am I the only person who hates the 'Aqua' tower? I don't understand how this building has captivated the public's imagination. The only thing setting it apart from the developer's other monstrosities (Grand Plaza) are the wavy terraces, which stick out gracelessly from an otherwise pedestrian glass box. The terraces are quite literally Lipstick(Gang) on a Pig(Loewenberg/Magellan). This crack team is responsible for nearly every hideous condo building in river north. It sickens me that we keep praising these hacks for their poorly executed gimmickry.
Am I the only person who hates the 'Aqua' tower? I don't understand how this building has captivated the public's imagination. The only thing setting it apart from the developer's other monstrosities (Grand Plaza) are the undulating terraces, which stick out gracelessly from an otherwise pedestrian glass box. The terraces are quite literally Lipstick(Gang) on a Pig(Loewenberg/Magellan). This crack team is responsible for nearly every hideous condo building in river north. It sickens me that we keep praising these hacks for their poorly executed gimmickry.
Agreed, the project is bad... really bad. This is a perfect example of a one note design which may look good in renderings being executed very poorly. The only vantage point this building even looks like the renderings is from directly under the building on the street. The flawed design, in addition to what I'm sure was a "modest" budget, has turned this thought provoking project into an eyesore. I mean, come on, take a look at the balcony railings. Home Depot black steel pipe railing, really? Really? They should be ashamed.
I actually think this project is pretty unique and am excited for its finish. Kinda reminds me of Antoni Gaudà architecture; fluid, organic and surreal. It's a step away from the modernist geometric forms Chicago is known for, but at the same time, think it's sensitive to its surrounding neighbors.
I checked you out - And I am extremely disappointed.
You clearly have an appreciation for architecture, yet somehow you too have fallen under the spell of this abomination-of-human-endeavor.
Aqua is, as you said, a step away from Chicago's Modernist legacy, but for different reasons than you propose. Apart from its terraces, Aqua is identical to any of the anonymous, oppressive towers that have risen in Chicago over the last 15 years. The developers putting up these building have eschewed Chicago's history at the cutting edge of architecture in favor of economies of scale. Their buildings are formulaic: always a tower on top of a parking deck, always a cheap store-front glazing system, always the beige paint, always some gaudy afterthought of ornament minimally differentiating it from its neighbors.
Strip away Aqua's terraces and you are left with a typical 'developer special' tower-on-a-parking-deck. The terraces are its ornament. They bear no relationship to the building. The official story is that they maximize views for the residents - but as anyone who's ever leaned out a hotel window to glimpse the sea will tell you - the novelty of the forced view quickly wears off.
I think that Chicago needs to free itself from the chains of modernism, but this is not the way. Betrand Goldberg achieved it with River City and his other residential buildings. Gaudi, whom you mentioned, was a master. Aqua is a poorly executed one-liner. Jeannie Gang is better than that, it must have been quite a paycheck.
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Am I the only person who hates the 'Aqua' tower? I don't understand how this building has captivated the public's imagination. The only thing setting it apart from the developer's other monstrosities (Grand Plaza) are the wavy terraces, which stick out gracelessly from an otherwise pedestrian glass box. The terraces are quite literally Lipstick(Gang) on a Pig(Loewenberg/Magellan). This crack team is responsible for nearly every hideous condo building in river north. It sickens me that we keep praising these hacks for their poorly executed gimmickry.
Am I the only person who hates the 'Aqua' tower? I don't understand how this building has captivated the public's imagination. The only thing setting it apart from the developer's other monstrosities (Grand Plaza) are the undulating terraces, which stick out gracelessly from an otherwise pedestrian glass box. The terraces are quite literally Lipstick(Gang) on a Pig(Loewenberg/Magellan). This crack team is responsible for nearly every hideous condo building in river north. It sickens me that we keep praising these hacks for their poorly executed gimmickry.
Agreed, the project is bad... really bad. This is a perfect example of a one note design which may look good in renderings being executed very poorly. The only vantage point this building even looks like the renderings is from directly under the building on the street. The flawed design, in addition to what I'm sure was a "modest" budget, has turned this thought provoking project into an eyesore. I mean, come on, take a look at the balcony railings. Home Depot black steel pipe railing, really? Really? They should be ashamed.
I actually think this project is pretty unique and am excited for its finish. Kinda reminds me of Antoni Gaudà architecture; fluid, organic and surreal. It's a step away from the modernist geometric forms Chicago is known for, but at the same time, think it's sensitive to its surrounding neighbors.
Ok, fess up: You work for Magellan - right? or Studio Gang? Or possibly Loewenberg? Which is it?
Hey Primeau, Nice pics of the Uptown Theater.
I checked you out - And I am extremely disappointed.
You clearly have an appreciation for architecture, yet somehow you too have fallen under the spell of this abomination-of-human-endeavor.
Aqua is, as you said, a step away from Chicago's Modernist legacy, but for different reasons than you propose. Apart from its terraces, Aqua is identical to any of the anonymous, oppressive towers that have risen in Chicago over the last 15 years. The developers putting up these building have eschewed Chicago's history at the cutting edge of architecture in favor of economies of scale. Their buildings are formulaic: always a tower on top of a parking deck, always a cheap store-front glazing system, always the beige paint, always some gaudy afterthought of ornament minimally differentiating it from its neighbors.
Strip away Aqua's terraces and you are left with a typical 'developer special' tower-on-a-parking-deck. The terraces are its ornament. They bear no relationship to the building. The official story is that they maximize views for the residents - but as anyone who's ever leaned out a hotel window to glimpse the sea will tell you - the novelty of the forced view quickly wears off.
I think that Chicago needs to free itself from the chains of modernism, but this is not the way. Betrand Goldberg achieved it with River City and his other residential buildings. Gaudi, whom you mentioned, was a master. Aqua is a poorly executed one-liner. Jeannie Gang is better than that, it must have been quite a paycheck.