and lastly on Jahn's work at a theoretical level.
I agree that his work is not theoretical in the classical, academic sense. But that, i feel, undercuts the full meaning of practicing architecture based on an underlying theory. Jahn's work these days is very prototypically driven. Developing the notion that building types lend themselves to certain forms and organizations, and using those forms and organizations repeatedly to give some definition to a project at its conception. So, rather than producing abstractly theoretical work, i would argue that there is a healthy does of PRACTICAL theory in his projects. Tying numerous projects together in an attempt to find a prototypical solution to common problems, that will have many applications in the future. You can see this particularly in the 2 chicago housing projects, as well as several projects on the boards at M/J's office.

Is anyone involved in the Chicago Architecture Club? Is it still an active entity?

i'll second the Contemporaine. that project looks pretty sweet. also, some of brininstool + lynch's mid-rise projects aren't too shabby either. some interesting projects in the pipeline.

this is great! Keep up the posts - the scene is waking up from the stupor of the postmodernati decorators!

is this the one going up by roosevelt?


it's effing hideous.

holz... whos tower is that?
though if its in the south loop, chances are... its effing hideous...


jump high, those are great pictures, thanks for sharing.

when you talk about the jahn building being very tight with efficient floor plans and post-tensioned slabs, that monster by pappageorge/haymes gets a little crazy.
click for funky floor plans There is a second one, a little shorter going up right next to it. They just finished the caissons

I've been collecting information on all these new condo towers going up in the downtown area. It makes it quite clear about the major forces of architecture in this city. Condos for retirees from the suburbs who are moving back into the city. The prices on these are outrageous.

That south loop one is P/H - I think that entire district LSD to Mich Ave, Rossevelt to 16th is all P/H. It really tall - its height seems to give it a presence from a distance, and looks interesting when viewed from Chinatown - but up close its like a mish mash of ideas and comprimises. I think it was designed by comittee.

Then I'm reading the news article about the "hot new design practices" in LA and wonder about the range of possibilities in architectural production. But I also wonder about the big gap between those practices (and other smaller, yet successful, practices operating on broader scales in New York or in Europe) and the playing field in Chicago here. I know there are a few small practices trying to hold their own, but the "scene" seems to be struggling.

awesome link jump - i love the click link to see furnished units and views. The unit plans are classic P/H - people love their plans, they move.

im very excited about Aqua...the residential floors with their undulating balconies have started...





found these on skyscrapper page...

yeah, it's P/H - one museum tower. it's fugly

I call an Archinect Field Trip to Aqua is order. Then we could check out the site at Calatrava. From the bridge you can get an awesome view of the caissons.

heres some cool pix of that SRO under construction while Cabrini Greens is being destructed









thought this was cool to - the final destruction of the ultimate modernist experiment



heres that Booth Hansed South facing curtain wall



the backside of this building is rather boring

i', actually digging that facade of the SRO, it reminds me of a lot of swiss work (diener + diener, mieli + peter, gigon_guyer) but the finish isn't so nice as le suises. i really liked his dormitory @ IIT as well. seemed well detailed, although the dead birds on the east facade kinda scared me.

If you guys want to meet Friday after work and get a drink, let me know.

A bar on Hubbard Street is fine or if you want to goto Avec in the West Loop that works too.