Archinect - News

New two-tower development at Chicago Spire site could dominate the city skyline

2018-05-16T14:05:00-04:00

The long-awaited vision for the 2.2-acre site along the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, unveiled in the first community meeting for the project, is toned down a bit from the 2,000-foot-tall Spire plan that stirred emotions but never advanced beyond a 76-foot-deep foundation hole. The design, by One World Trade Center architect David Childs, includes a south tower rising 1,100 feet and an 850-foot north tower.

Ever since work on Santiago Calatrava's 2,000-foot-tall Chicago Spire came to a halt in 2008 due to financial troubles, the city was left with a gaping hole in the ground rather than the nation's tallest building.

Rendering: Related Midwest.

A new proposal by Related Midwest for a pair of towers at 400 Lake Shore Drive, designed by architect David Childs with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, could rehabilitate the site.

Dragon-proofing: why skyscrapers in Hong Kong have holes

2017-03-30T18:55:00-04:00

Have you ever realized that Hong Kong skyscrapers have holes in them? They're called dragon gates, and according to the Chinese principle feng shui these holes allow dragons to fly from the mountains to the water each day. It's believed that blocking the dragon's path could bring misfortune. Buildings with bad feng shui, such as the Bank of China Tower, have been blamed for surrounding companies going out of business.

Double-paned, waterproofed windows for insulation? Check. Reinforced steel beams for stability during an earthquake? Check. Hole in the center of the building so dragons can fly through?

Chicago Spire's gaping hole to be hidden behind piles of dirt

2016-03-28T14:02:00-04:00

It was supposed to be a strutting 150-story lakefront symbol of the city's virility — but eight years after construction of the Chicago Spire skyscraper ground to a halt, the gaping hole where it was to have stood has instead become an enduring reminder of the Great Recession. So owner Related Midwest is now hiding the unsightly circular hole that would have formed the foundation of the world's second-tallest building behind a pile of dirt.

The Calatrava-designed Chicago Spire project previously in the Archinect news:

Holey moley! Architecture's trend for cutting holes in buildings

2014-01-17T14:12:00-05:00

Lucky coins, a Tetris stack and a ferris wheel 500m up in the air ... take a look at the buildings around the world with holes right through them.

Here's your easy Friday office reading.