http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/879/mapletowergi6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I just noticed that we didn't have a thread for this beauty. I would've liked to start the thread with a bang, but, sadly, visual information available for this project is very limited. I managed to find only the one rendering:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/geoff_diamond/Chicago%20-%20Renderings/MapleTower01.jpg

I was by the site yesterday and I can say... they're making very quick work of the building. It looked to be in the 8 to 10 storey range already!

If anyone's got any more information (especially renderings)... please post them!!!

Beauty???

where is this located?

It is located on the intersection of Dearborn Street and Maple Street in the gold coast area. I think it is a pretty building even though it is not as tall as some of other buildings.

Here are some pictures taken today (Feb. 10, 2005) of the building during construction.

These three are from the west.
http://images.snapfish.com/342%3B2%3A8723232%7Ffp58%3Dot%3E2339%3D%3A9%3A%3D%3A28%3DXROQDF%3E232376%3B%3C8425%3Bot1lsi

http://images.snapfish.com/342%3B2%3A8723232%7Ffp4%3Enu%3D3248%3E9%3A9%3E937%3EWSNRCG%3D323285%3C%3B93356nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/342%3B2%3A8723232%7Ffp4%3Enu%3D3248%3E9%3A9%3E937%3EWSNRCG%3D323285%3C%3B93358nu0mrj

This is from the immediate south.

http://images.snapfish.com/342%3B2%3A8723232%7Ffp47%3Dot%3E2339%3D%3A9%3A%3D%3A28%3DXROQDF%3E232376%3B%3C84272ot1lsi

This one is from the southeast. You can see the tower rising in back of the soon to be demolished Scholl’s building.

http://images.snapfish.com/342%3B2%3A8723232%7Ffp58%3Dot%3E2339%3D%3A9%3A%3D%3A28%3DXROQDF%3E232376%3B%3C84274ot1lsi

The building in the last photo is the old Dr. Scholl's podiatry school and clinic, is that right? Does anyone know whatever happened to that institution? Did they go out of business or merge/fold into another hospital, or are they merely located elsewhere?

I shouldn't ask what they're doing do it. The words "renovation" and "condo conversion" are practically interchangeable these days.

I shouldn't ask what they're doing do it. The words "renovation" and "condo conversion" are practically interchangeable these days.

they are tearing it down... which is a damn shame.

Bah... may progress roll forward (even if some old squatty piece of shit is in the way)!

Bah... may progress roll forward (even if some old squatty piece of shit is in the way)!

buddy, progress will always happen. but we can't recreate what was made 80 years ago ;) why dont they just bulldoze the Parthenon in Athens for a mall, or the Colloseum in Rome for an amusement park? because these are international treasures, and they should last forever. Thats how we should feel about these buildings too. For a country thats only around 220 years old, these are pretty damn old. Imagine if the CBoT or Wrigley Bldg or Tribune tower is still around 1,000 years from now. Wouldnt that be amazing? Dr. Sholl's shouldve stayed. Maybe it wasnt a treasure in of itself, but it adds to the old atmosphere. It definatly gave the park an older feeling, and it definatly complemented the Newberry Library.

We arent some new up-and-coming sunbelt shithole. We arent Houston damnit. We have history. We have worth. This is our legacy. Proof that we were a major important metropolis when Houston was a backwards agrarian suburb of Galveston.

Man, do i hate Houston :P

The very fact that we have history is exaclty why it would have been okay to knock down Dr. Scholl's. If it was the oldest building in Chicago, or had even some hint of significance... I would be all about saving it. But, we've got so much history and so many treasures here, that to try and save all of them is just foolish.

Almost as foolish as comparing Dr. Scholl's to the Parthenon or the Colosseum. Let's not get carried away.

"The very fact that we have history is exaclty why it would have been okay to knock down Dr. Scholl's. If it was the oldest building in Chicago, or had even some hint of significance... I would be all about saving it. But, we've got so much history and so many treasures here, that to try and save all of them is just foolish."

Historical architecture is not about having a few famous buildings roped off for tourist groups to visit. It's about having an urban landscape that is influenced by prewar architecture--something that right now gives the city its feel, something which pretty much everyone on this board, I assume, feels is very, very pleasing. Destroying any building like this when it's unnecessary is just wasteful and destructive, especially when the building replacing it is as unimaginative and pedestrian as this.

Well, we're just going to have to agree to disagree. As I stated before, my only gripe with this demo, as others have stated, is that there's still pleanty of other land to be built on that doesn't require demolition.

Walked by today (2-21-05) and took some pictures.

The first three are from the west.

http://images.snapfish.com/342%3C269923232%7Ffp7%3Enu%3D3248%3E9%3A9%3E937%3EWSNRCG%3D323286%3C%3A74%3B54nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/342%3C269923232%7Ffp63%3Dot%3E2339%3D%3A9%3A%3D%3A28%3DXROQDF%3E232377%3B%3B65%3A66ot1lsi

http://images.snapfish.com/342%3C269923232%7Ffp58%3Dot%3E2339%3D%3A9%3A%3D%3A28%3DXROQDF%3E232377%3B%3B65%3A69ot1lsi

The last is from the South.

http://images.snapfish.com/342%3C269923232%7Ffp63%3Dot%3E2339%3D%3A9%3A%3D%3A28%3DXROQDF%3E232377%3B%3B65%3A6%3Aot1lsi

thx for the pix northside!

Just found a bigger rendering on emporis. Enjoy.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/geoff_diamond/Chicago%20-%20Renderings/MapleTower02.jpg

Alot has happened with MT since the last construction updates. So, here's a couple of shots that I snapped earlier this week. Apologies, as usual, for the quality - I never carry a real camera anymore.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/geoff_diamond/Chicago%20-%20Construction/mapletower_04120501.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/geoff_diamond/Chicago%20-%20Construction/mapletower_04120502.jpg

*both of these shots are looking west down Maple

Not a bad design.

They also have some nice snapshots at emporis.

Not a super creative design, but it has a simple and sheek look to it that appeals to me

I rather like it. I think it's quite elegant.

It's a concrete turd with punched out windows. It's as bad as a Lowenberg building. In my opinion. It should have been a curtain wall facade all around.

Yeah, I second that, Victor. This is hideous.

Not every building needs to be solid glass to be successful. I rather liked the renderings for MT when I first saw them but have become more and more disgruntled with the results. First of all, the color choice is atrocious - they should have left it unpainted ala Contemporaine or painted it gray or white. Secondly, I had yet to catch wind of the building's south facade which is, I must say, quite abhorrent. I still love the slender profile from the east and west, but, this one is getting chalked up as a real disappointment overall.

The aforementioned south facade.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/geoff_diamond/Chicago%20-%20Construction/mapletower_05210501.jpg

Ew. And to think what we lost for this.

Ew. And to think what we lost for this.

What did we lose for this one? Was there a historic structure on the site before this building got started? I do not remember?

I don't remember there being anything there... just a parking lot?

^ No, no, I'm wrong, I was thinking of another project. This is just ugly, no loss.

:)

I love it! A building like this, which I still consider not too bad (and actually kinda sleek), gets so much HATE!

That goes to show you how high standards are in Chicago

im not a big fan of this one , it could have been nicer. and i agree you dont need glass to make a building nice but this one doesent realy do it for me.

I walked by this place last night. I am happy with it to the point that it replaced an empty lot. Otherwise, I'm not all that thrilled with any of the aesthetics, particularly the color.

Yeah, it's mostly the color and those stupid pendants that bother me. Could've been a fine project otherwise.

It was hideous from the getgo; belongs in Miami

What really pisses me off is that the posted rendering on Maple and Dearborn showed a lighter colored, white/light gray building. I remember saying to my girlfriend as we walked by a couple years ago: "Hey, that looks pretty nice." Then they erect this dark piece of shit and I am shocked and disgusted with the color. Given the location, I expected more.

It could be getting a paint job...

That is the paint job sim. When it first went up, it was a really nice raw-concrete, then they painted it that nasty-ass baby-shit brown.

The upshot is: yet another surface-lot is gone and replaced with something that's not the most horrible building we've ever seen. I'll still call it a victory.

That is the paint job sim. When it first went up, it was a really nice raw-concrete, then they painted it that nasty-ass baby-shit brown.

The upshot is: yet another surface-lot is gone and replaced with something that's not the most horrible building we've ever seen. I'll still call it a victory.


Didn't they use all that baby ass color up on the Grand? I was hoping it would be at least the "greystone" color the diagrams showed.

Where is the city council where you need them? Can we outlaw that color?

Didn't they use all that baby ass color up on the Grand? I was hoping it would be at least the "greystone" color the diagrams showed.

Where is the city council where you need them? Can we outlaw that color?

It is a little darker than that even.

Again, happy that the empty lot is gone...so I'll take Maple Tower over empty lot any day. The building just didn't meet my expectations, which weren't super high to begin with.

Yeah, this is more of a brown than Grand Plaza (which is sort of a yellowish pukish color?)

Yeah, this is more of a brown than Grand Plaza (which is sort of a yellowish pukish color?)


So we are still talking "body excretment" :tongue2:

Can everybody just stop the shit talking! lol :)

What are the so-called "townhomes of distinction"? Are they part of this development or something else?

the "Townhomes of Distincton" ad that you see is actually for 30 W. Oak - the project that is adjacent to Maple Tower.