CHICAGO | Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies | 161ft | 10 fl | Com

[Frumie]

Height: 161 ft
Floor count: 10
Location: 618 South Michigan
Construction end: 2007
Architect: Krueck + Sexton Architects
Developer: Unknown

Website (http://www.spertus.edu/)

http://img488.imageshack.us/img488/8190/spertusfacadeday50kt.jpg

http://img482.imageshack.us/img482/5929/spertusfacadenight54ke.jpg

This structure bears watching?

College Building Unique Addition to Michigan Ave.
By Mark Ruda
Last updated: February 21, 2005 08:04am

CHICAGO-Work is expected to begin this spring on an architecturally distinctive 138,000-sf building at 618 S. Michigan Ave. that will house Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, as well as its museum and library. The cost reportedly is $55 million for the building designed by locally based Krueck & Sexton Architects, which will include an undulating glass curtain wall that will project five feet over the sidewalk.


The college will build on a 14,430-sf site immediately north of its current location. The 10-story building will house a 400-seat auditorium, the college’s Spertus Museum and Asher Library, a family center and administrative offices. A 5,515-sf “green roof” will top the building, which will have views of Grant Park and Lake Michigan. The project was recently endorsed by the city’s plan commission. “We look at this new facility as our gift to the city,” says Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies president and chief executive officer Dr. Howard A. Sulkin.


Department of planning and development officials note the building, expected to be completed in 2007, will complete the streetwall on its stretch of S. Michigan Avenue. They add the property’s current DX-16 zoning would allow for a 230,000-sf building, or 60% larger proposed by Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies.


Although school officials had expected to seek $3 million in tax increment financing to help pay for the project, they told the plan commission they expect to their own fund-raising efforts will be enough to pay for construction.

[geoff_diamond]

This is good to hear. We hadn't had much news on Spertus in quite a while.

Here's a couple of renderings and a model-shot for anyone who's not familiar:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/geoff_diamond/Chicago%20-%20Renderings/Spertus01.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/geoff_diamond/Chicago%20-%20Renderings/Spertus02.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/geoff_diamond/Chicago%20-%20Renderings/Spertus03.jpg

[Tom in Chicago]

Although this much-anticipated building is only 10 floors, it exceeds the minimum height limit to be added as a "high-rise" building in the Emporis database. . . we'll be keeping a close eye on it and will have monthly construction photos as well. . .

[2PRUROCKS!]

^ Awesome!

[2PRUROCKS!]

Tom what is the minimum height limit and how tall is Spertus?

[ChicagoLover]

I just love this building.

[geoff_diamond]

From emporis:

The cutoff between high-rise and low-rise buildings is 35 meters. This height was chosen based on an original 12-floor cutoff, used for the following reasons: 1) Twelve floors is normally the minimum height needed to achieve the physical presence which earns the name "high-rise"; 2) The twelve-floor limit represents a compromise between ambition and manageability for a worldwide database.

[wickedestcity]

the best part about it is the new kosher deli there gonna have in there :)

[oshkeoto]

^ Are you serious? A kosher deli? Oh, baruch hashem.

[Frumie]

Here's the latest from the cRc on the prospects of a kosher deli in Spertus.

Hi! My name is Basya Israel. I work for the cRc and my husband, Yehoshua, works for Spertus. Yes, they are building a new building right next door to the current site and they are hoping to put a kosher deli in it. They have researched the requirements of a kosher kitchen so they can adjust the architectural plans accordingly. You have to understand though, that they are taking their time on this building. It's taken them a couple of years so far just to pick an architect and decide what usages they want the architect to design the building to accommodate. The kitchen is only one small piece of it. They're not sure if this kosher kitchen will be a deli open for lunch to the public, a caterer's commissary to take care of the food for internal Spertus functions, or what. They don't know what kind of demand, or lack thereof, they will face from the public for either a deli or a caterer. In the meantime, they haven't broken ground on the building yet (as far as I know) so we've got a few years until anything is actual.

[wickedestcity]

October 2, 2005 through January 8, 2006

This fall, Spertus breaks ground on a new home, just north of its current Michigan Avenue location. In preparation, we have been exploring the stories buildings tell, and a new family-friendly exhibition opening this fall will help us share those stories with you.

Raise the Roof shares the inside scoop on building techniques from around the world, illustrated with interactive activities that allow you to create your own structures, investigate how buildings are designed to serve people’s needs, and discover some specific practices used in Jewish buildings.

Find out just how much you know — or don't know — about the world of buildings, while you learn about plans for the new Spertus.

Raise the Roof was produced by the Science Museum of Minnesota with support from the National Science Foundation. At Spertus Museum it is enhanced with displays created by the Spertus staff.


--------------------------------
This fall, Spertus breaks ground on a new state-of-the-art facility, designed by the award-winning firm of Krueck & Sexton Architects. This building’s faceted glass facade, bathed in light by day and illuminating Grant Park at night, promises to express a bold reinterpretation of Michigan Avenue’s historic street wall when completed in 2007. In addition to providing enhanced space for Spertus exhibitions and programming, the building’s inviting and innovative architecture will communicate Spertus’ role as one of Chicago’s great public institutions, along the cultural corridor stretching from Millennium Park to the Museum Campus.
This new exhibition explores the way Jewish concepts of light are incorporated in the building design, bringing together working drawings and models with precious objects from the Spertus Museum collection to illustrate the significance of light to Jewish lore and practice. Come and explore the way building design can abstract ideas from Jewish tradition while creating a welcoming space for people of all backgrounds.

9/9/2005 - 1/2/2006
Windows of Light

618 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago IL 60605

10:00 AM

Contact: Susan Baum
Phone: (312) 322-1700

[ChicagoLover]

I wonder what Spertus will do with the old building. Will it go condo?

[wickedestcity]

i always thought it was just an add-on not a move . but im probabley wrong.

[spyguy]

No, it's a move.

[wickedestcity]

then whats the point? its not like its any bigger of a building . they could have just as well renovated the old one?

[ChicagoLover]

On the website, it is mentioned that the new building is larger than the old. I suppose they wanted a spiffy new facility--who wouldn't? Maybe part of the plan is to use the proceeds from the sale of the old building to finance the new. Now that the southern part of Michigan is hot real estate, that property could command a good price. Of course, the property would require a substantial renovation, if not a tear-down. As I recall, the exterior of that building is rather unattractive. I'm surprised there haven't been any news reports about this buliding going condo or being torn down to build condos. The sale of the site to a developer could spark more controversy than Legacy did, given its location along the "cliff."

[spyguy]

It is a bigger building. They wanted a showier location and building. Who can blame them?

[Latoso]

I wouldn't be surprised if Columbia College buys the old building to expand. They have been rather aggresive in the South Loop in aquiring properties and land is only going to go up in price and get more scarce. Also, they already own buildings on both sides of Spertus.

[spyguy]

Good news. It seems as though ground breaking will begin on the Spertus on Sunday I think. What a fine new building it shall be.

[The Urban Politician]

Good news. It seems as though ground breaking will begin on the Spertus on Sunday I think. What a fine new building it shall be.

^Really?

Reliable source?

[spyguy]

Yes, their own website :)

Celebrate a groundbreaking year!

Sunday, October 9, 2005
Hilton Chicago

Tickets for the Benefit are $350 per person. To receive an invitation or for more information, call 312.322.1716 or email hritter@spertus.edu.

5:00 pm | Groundbreaking
Please join us before the Benefit at the Groundbreaking for the New Spertus, 610 S. Michigan

5:30 pm | Cocktail reception
featuring a quartet from Maxwell Street Klezmer Band

6:15 pm | Dinner and Food for Thought
Guest Speaker Fareed Zakaria
International Political Analyst
The Future of the Middle East

http://www.spertus.edu/programs/special/images/street_benefit.gif

[Chi_Coruscant]

$350.00 I will buy...... if I have one million dollars........

[spyguy]

Hehehe

Anyway, I think they should do more of this kind of style in Chicago. Not very tall, but makes a huge impact nonetheless. It seems to work well in other cities like Paris and Tokyo:

http://www.citroen.com/NR/rdonlyres/236CE719-15DC-406A-91EB-4E2F0BF18325/21756/3.jpg
http://www.studio-international.co.uk/studio-images/dior_omotesando/dior2_b.jpg
http://www.josef-gartner.de/images/Prada_Tokyo_002-klein.gif[IMG]
http://photogallery.tiscali.it/repository/arte/architettura/2004/agosto/renzopiano/piano12.jpg
http://www.ledeffects.com/images/installations/ginza_lg.jpg
http://architettura.supereva.com/architetture/20050109/04.jpg

[BVictor1]

Caissons are finally being drilled for this structure. I noticed a caisson crane on site today as I drove by.

[The Urban Politician]

^ HURRAY!

I love this building

[Chicagotom]

http://images.snapfish.com/34668%3B555%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D3233%3E4%3C8%3E558%3E23244%3C86495%3B6ot1lsi

http://images.snapfish.com/34668%3B555%7Ffp346%3Enu%3D3279%3E%3A85%3E266%3EWSNRCG%3D32336245%3B%3B%3C79nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/34668%3B555%7Ffp343%3Enu%3D3279%3E%3A85%3E266%3EWSNRCG%3D32336245%3B%3B%3C7%3Cnu0mrj

[Loopy]

I love this project.

It won't be open to the public until Autumn of 2007. But these latest renders have me feeling it will be worth the wait.


http://img488.imageshack.us/img488/8190/spertusfacadeday50kt.jpg
http://img482.imageshack.us/img482/5929/spertusfacadenight54ke.jpg

[spyguy]

http://midwest.construction.com/features/archive/0610_feature2.asp

Spertus Institute
New Home Blooms On Michigan Avenue

by Pamela Dittmer McKuen

When the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies decided to expand, planners looked at dozens of sites in the downtown Chicago area.

Ultimately, they chose the one next door. It is a tad smaller than ideal, about a third of an acre, but the institute already was part owner of the lot. Plus, it's got one of the best views in town: overlooking Lake Michigan and Grant Park.

Founded in 1924, Spertus is a cultural and educational center dedicated to the Jewish experience. Among its offerings are programs, exhibitions, collections, research facilities and degree programs.

The new $55 million building at 610 S. Michigan Ave. nearly doubles Spertus' size to 155,000 sq. ft. on 10 floors. Included in the floor plan are a museum, library, classrooms, 400-seat auditorium and kosher cafeteria. The building will be crowned with a rooftop garden and is the first new construction in the Historic Michigan Boulevard District, which runs from 11th to Randolph streets, since being named in 2002.

"The old building still has a lot of life in it, but we were getting to the point where it was becoming harmful to achieving our goals," said Spertus President
Howard Sulkin of its present home. It was built in 1906 and has had multiple owners.

Work began on the new building in October 2005 and will be completed in fall 2007.

There were numerous needs in the new building. A primary example is the museum's collection of more than 500,000 books, artifacts, maps and other pieces that require proper climate control to ensure preservation. Other needs are better theatrical space to showcase lectures, concerts and other live performances, and a facade more welcoming >> than the wall of solid masonry it has now.

"We want to be an open place that tells people of all faiths we want you to come in, to learn about us and learn from us-not a fortress mentality," Sulkin said.

A Contemporary Look

The contemporary design, by Chicago-based Krueck & Sexton Architects, incorporates numerous tenets and traditions of the Jewish faith, some more visible than others.

Most significant is the innovative jewel-faceted and multiplaned glass curtain wall, which signifies the concept that light is symbolic of learning and reveals the activity within.

As the architects studied the South Michigan Avenue streetwall for inspiration, they noted a great amount of in-and-out movement, including bays, cornices and other elements. They also saw that the buildings reflect the design, technologies and materials of the eras in which they were built.

Those observations were augmented by Spertus' progressive vision, said project principal and architect Mark Sexton of Krueck & Sexton.

"We don't borrow materials or composition from the historic buildings," he said. "We believe that architecture should be for the day and something that uses the technology and materials of the day in the most efficient and expressive ways. In our case, that means glass technology to shield and create openings."

The curtain wall will be created from mostly parallelogram-shaped panes measuring 4 ft., 4 in. by 7 ft. They will be assembled to create three-dimensional diamond-like projections and held in place against an aluminum support structure. The projections and the size of the panes relate to architectural details found elsewhere on the street.

"Rather than using glass in a pure vertical form, we started to shape it," Sexton said.

What is not true is that the curtain wall symbolizes Kristallnacht, or "Night of Broken Glass," the 1938 destruction of hundreds of Jewish synagogues and businesses throughout Nazi Germany. Also not true is that from certain angles, a Star of David can be seen within the angles of the curtain wall.

"If people see those things, God bless them, but it was never our intention to have a building that was a lot of explicit iconography," Sulkin said. "We wanted more abstract expressions of Judaism."

The first floor is recessed 8 ft. to create a canopy for visitors and passersby, and the top two floors, with 16-ft.-high gallery walls, house the museum. The auditorium, library, offices and classrooms are planned for the middle levels.

The remaining three exterior walls are concrete masonry units.

Also reflecting Jewish belief, the building integrates numerous efficiencies of construction and energy-saving technologies, such as a 6,659-sq.-ft. green roof garden, energy-efficient and nonpolluting lighting and glass coatings for solar control. It will be in compliance with the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system at the Silver level.

"One of the major teachings of the Torah has to do with respect for the environment," Sulkin said. "We are trying to do what our heritage tells us to do and to do it in a new way."

A Tight Squeeze

Ground was broken after several years of planning.

It's a tight squeeze for the construction crews, led by the Chicago-based general contractor W.E. O'Neil Construction Co. The site is midblock, and the building takes up most of the lot.

The basement, however, does not. It was designed with a sophisticated earth-retention system that helps secure the two adjacent buildings, which belong to Columbia College Chicago. (Columbia has agreed to buy the existing Spertus building.) The basement's footprint is about two-thirds the building's footprint
Site planning and logistics have been among the complicating factors of the project, said Roark Frankel, senior vice president of the Chicago-based project manager U.S. Equities.

The alley on the west side of the property proved to be unhelpful. For one, it is narrower than standard city alleys, and trucks could not get through. Two, some of the buildings that back up to it have active fire escapes that require access.

City officials helped devise a solution. They allowed a full-time lane >> closure, and Spertus rebuilt a new temporary lane into the wide median so that traffic continues to flow.

"We'll restore the lane when we're done," Frankel said.

Even though the budget was set four years ago with a generous line item for inflation, there's no money to spare. The building is being paid for through fundraising and private donations, and a 30-year bond issue covers the gap between the time the bills are due and the pledges come in.

"There's never been a lot of (interior) ornamentation," Frankel said.

"Everything is in support of the mission and their programming. The money, except for the curtain wall, has gone into such things as the audiovisual system for the auditorium, flexibility of classrooms and the air-conditioning and humidification system for their archives."

The curtain wall will cost about 10 percent of the construction budget, said Ken McHugh, president of Chicago-based Institutional Project Management LLC, which is handling the process management for Spertus.

"There are a lot of elements that down the road will save Spertus money but place upfront burdens on construction costs," he added.

With the foundation now in place, construction is on a roll. The concrete core is climbing and the steel is following right behind. The schedule calls for the building to be topped out by the end of the year and some of the enclosure done by November.

"Putting all the time we did into the design and engineering phases has made the construction piece pretty efficient," Frankel said. "That's really the fastest piece."

[Chicagotom]

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l221/Mansmith_2006/DSCN2241.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l221/Mansmith_2006/DSCN2240.jpg

[Chicagotom]

Saw the first panel of the curtain wall being put in place this morning.

[spyguy]

^Really? I think I'll have to stop by soon and see it.

[wrabbit]

Lots of new construction & schematic pics on the Spertus website (http://www.spertus.edu/aboutspertus/glassfacade.php):

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/facade_003_feb.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/facade_001_feb.jpg
Mock-up :
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/facade_testing_001.jpg

[ardecila]

Are they really gonna leave that little alley between the new and old sections? I really hope not. (this is Michigan Avenue!)

[Chicagotom]

^^ Are you talking about the gap were the crane? Thats going to be a glass enclosed stairwell. See rendering. latest posted by Loopy.

[i_am_hydrogen]

Taken today:

http://img113.imageshack.us/img113/8193/spertus313ku9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[ChivDevil]

^^ Lookin good:cheers:

[spyguy]

Nice photo. The cladding is going up pretty fast, especially since it's a bit more complicated.

[spyguy]

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/1255/spertus08ri5.jpg
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/3793/spertus09io1.jpg
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/7286/spertus02pu3.jpg
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/1117/spertus01lw2.jpg

All I have to say is that it is beautiful.

[Chi649]

When this building is done, I can't wait to see how it will look during sunrise. Image the reflection of the sun on this thing. Should be awesome.

[i_am_hydrogen]

A shot of Spertus I took last weekend:

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/6054/spertusspdxp4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[UrbanSophist]

This is gonna be so great when its done! And I hope they have the kosher deli.

[geoff_diamond]

The juxtaposition of this building on the historic SoMi streetwall is so fucking fantastic - I am absolutely in love!

[i_am_hydrogen]

^Imagine it in this shot taken many months ago from the Aon Center:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/188/406034347_d63aa38812_o.jpg

[Chi649]

A shot of Spertus I took last weekend:

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/6054/spertusspdxp4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)That looks like sometime in the morning. Nice pic Hydrogen.

[Retrograde]

^^ Yeah, nice photo i_am_hydrogen! And the picture looking down Michigan Ave is fantastic!

[i_am_hydrogen]

Thanks. Actually, the Spertus photo was taken around 1pm. Normally, I avoid the S. Mich streetwall after the sun cuts over into the western half of the sky because the buildings are too heavily backlit--backlighting makes for bad photos. But the windows were reflecting the blue sky so nicely that I just decided to go ahead and take the shot.

[edsg25]

This is gonna be so great when its done! And I hope they have the kosher deli.

Does anyone have any idea why Max & Benny's didn't make it downtown. There are enough North Shore Jews who have moved downtown who love the original, plus a large enough Jewish population in general downtown as well as others who enjoy a real Jewish deli.

Why would South Michigan Ave. be better than Streeterville for locating one? Well, either way, there's still Manny's.

[wrabbit]

Does anyone have any idea why Max & Benny's didn't make it downtown. There are enough North Shore Jews who have moved downtown who love the original, plus a large enough Jewish population in general downtown as well as others who enjoy a real Jewish deli.....

Some of us gentiles enjoy the stuff, too - mmm, pastrami on rye...

It'd be great to be able to dash into Spertus for some takeout in the Park. :)

[spyguy]

This is gonna be so great when its done! And I hope they have the kosher deli.

They're supposed to have a "kosher café" somewhere in there.

[edsg25]

Some of us gentiles enjoy the stuff, too - mmm, pastrami on rye...

It'd be great to be able to dash into Spertus for some takeout in the Park. :)

wrabbit, do you have any idea what a piled-sky-high Manny's pastrami on rye can do to your arteries?

[geoff_diamond]

Who needs any deli besides Ada's?

[Frumie]

Some of us gentiles enjoy the stuff, too - mmm, pastrami on rye...

It'd be great to be able to dash into Spertus for some takeout in the Park. :)
You can get Glatt Kosher deli at Spertus for lunch; it comes from the Sandwich Club in Skokie and is quite good. Enjoy!

[edsg25]

Who needs any deli besides Ada's?

geoff, even suburbia rejected Ada's.

[geoff_diamond]

That's because suburbanites are morons. Ada's rocks my ass six ways from the Sabbath.

[edsg25]

That's because suburbanites are morons. Ada's rocks my ass six ways from the Sabbath.

Forgive us, we are Max and Benny people.

[wickedestcity]

nothings like a deli sandwich from the late Kosher Karry's or Wallys Milk Pail. Kal Mulei Rachamim. but you can still get the best deli from Romainian at touhy and clark but i dont know if they sell it in sandwich form or if you have to do that yourself.
The Sandwich Club is ok but nothing to write home about although they may get their meat from Romainian, idonno. either way there's very few in the citys center available.

[Chi649]

That's because suburbanites are morons. Ada's rocks my ass six ways from the Sabbath.Hey, I'm a suburbanite and I'd rather be moron than moroff. You city folk are all the same with your fast cars and paved roads!

[Frumie]

Gentlemen, this is Metropolitan Chicago. Let's behave like good neighbors. :)

[MWR]

THE BEST!

[wickedestcity]

Kosher cafe to open at new Spertus building
(Crain’s) — The Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies and Wolfgangpuck Catering Inc. are bringing kosher back to downtown Chicago.

A kosher cafe run by the famous chef’s catering company is set to open in November on the second floor of the new Spertus Institute building at 610 S. Michigan Ave., filling a dietary void created when the last kosher restaurant downtown closed roughly three years ago.

“It’s a big deal,” Rabbi Ira Youdovin, executive vice-president of the Chicago Board of Rabbis, said of the Spertus Institute cafe. “Many people who keep kosher will have an option downtown and it’s Wolfgang Puck. It’s not chopped liver.”

A final menu is being hammered out, but most items will be quick-casual ones, such as sandwiches, salads and possibly sushi, said Betsy Gomberg, director of institutional outreach for the Spertus Institute. The cafe is also in the process of having its kosher kitchen certified by the Rabbinical Council.


Ms. Gomberg said she doesn’t expect the cafe to be a profit center for the Spertus Institute, but hopes catering and room-rental business will cover any losses.

“It has always been important for us to offer kosher food,” she said.

Los Angeles-based Wolfgangpuck Catering, which manages food and event services at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art and the Chicago History Museum, seemed to be a natural to manage the Spertus Institute’s cafe. Mr. Puck married into a Jewish family and his children are Jewish. The celebrity chef also has hosted Passover Seders at his Spago restaurant.

“We look forward to working closely with Chicago suppliers to offer the freshest and finest ingredients, creating delicious food for everyone, whatever their culture, while also serving those who keep kosher and who live or work in Chicago or have the good fortune to visit this beautiful venue,” Mr. Puck said in a statement.

The Spertus Institute is building its new $55-million facility just north of its current location at 618 S. Michigan Ave. The Jewish cultural studies center will feature a museum, library and 410-seat auditorium.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=24415

[trvlr70]

^^^^^^That sounds like a good match....OY!

[spyguy]

Ha! How appropriate.

Does someone from Crain's visit this website?

[edsg25]

can i get a ham and cheese sandwich if i order it on matzoh (during passover, of course)???

[Chi649]

Gentlemen, this is Metropolitan Chicago. Let's behave like good neighbors. :)It's all good Frumie. I was just joking around :)

[wickedestcity]

can i get a ham and cheese sandwich if i order it on matzoh (during passover, of course)???

sure Ed ,all you need to do is have it blessed by a rabbi .......:nuts:

[edsg25]

sure Ed ,all you need to do is have it blessed by a rabbi .......:nuts:

you're not suggesting the Chicago Rabinical Council's stamp of approval is a racket, are you?

[nomarandlee]

The Tribune article on the new cafe.....

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-0703290821mar30,1,2801824.story?coll=chi-news-hed

PERSONALS: WHO?S WHO & WHAT?S UP

Spertus Institute will sport kosher Puck cafe

By Phil Vettel
Published March 30, 2007

The $55-million Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, 618 S. Michigan Ave., will have an extra attraction when it opens in November: a Wolfgang Puck Cafe.

The Spertus Institute announced Thursday that the acclaimed chef will open a grab-and-go cafe of seasonal sandwiches, salads, snacks and desserts, similar to the operation Puck runs in Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art

The cafe at the Spertus Institute, however, will be all kosher. There isn't a kosher cafe or restaurant in the Loop, the institute says.

The cafe will be on the second floor, where floor-to-ceiling windows overlook Grant Park, and will be open to the public in addition to those attending classes at Spertus College or visiting the institute's museum or library.

"While our operations at Spertus will be a natural extension of our existing business, the opportunity to serve the kosher market and a varied audience allow us to take a unique approach," said Carl Schuster, CEO of Wolfgang Puck Catering. Puck Catering also will handle the special-event food service for the facility.

----------

The Personals page was compiled by Emily Rosenbaum from Tribune news services and staff reports.

[Frumie]

you're not suggesting the Chicago Rabinical Council's stamp of approval is a racket, are you?
Once on an American Airlines' flight my pre-ordered "kosher" meal turned out to be a pork-butt sandwich with a beautifuly embossed card informing me that the Holy See had granted me dispensation to eat it. It turned out that they have mistakenly served my kosher meal to an Indian woman vegetarian. No kidding. :lol:

[wickedestcity]

you're not suggesting the Chicago Rabinical Council's stamp of approval is a racket, are you?

cRc stands for CangaRoo Court (although that’s not how you spell kangaroo)
but seriously its amazing how many people really believe that a blessing is all you need to render food kosher.

[edsg25]

Once on an American Airlines' flight my pre-ordered "kosher" meal turned out to be a pork-butt sandwich with a beautifuly embossed card informing me that the Holy See had granted me dispensation to eat it. It turned out that they have mistakenly served my kosher meal to an Indian woman vegetarian. No kidding. :lol:

As Harry Carray might have said......

[edsg25]

cRc stands for CangaRoo Court (although that’s not how you spell kangaroo)
but seriously its amazing how many people really believe that a blessing is all you need to render food kosher.

Everyone knows that a cow that has contributed to JUF five figures is automatically considered to be kosher.

[wickedestcity]

^^ :lol:

[i_am_hydrogen]

Taken today:

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/2271/spertuszb6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[bnk]

Does any one have the name of the building this one is replacing?

I really the new one.... but I am interested in what was in its place.

Thanks in advance.

bnk

[Mr Downtown]

A two-story building at 612-14 South Michigan, and a five-story loft building at 608-10 South Michigan, built in 1906 for E.T. Blair, and demolished in 1978. In latter years it was occupied by a furniture store called Wilson-Jump.

In 1980 a 29-story apartment building was proposed for the site by architect/developer Joel Hillman, but never built.

[Chi649]

4-14-07


http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/4402/dsc07474ah3.jpg



http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/3241/dsc07476ld2.jpg



http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/9879/dsc07477np2.jpg

[Latoso]

Does any one have the name of the building this one is replacing?

I really the new one.... but I am interested in what was in its place.

Thanks in advance.

bnk

Mr. Downtown gave a great detailed response. But in essence it is replacing an empty lot that was partially used as an outdoor gallery.

[nomarandlee]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0704240780apr25,1,6325885.story

Spertus museum like new kid on block
Glass wall facade brings bold look to historic district

By Bonnie Miller Rubin
Tribune staff reporter
Published April 25, 2007

A sneak preview Tuesday of the first new construction on South Michigan Avenue since being designated a historic district revealed a building that offers not only a commanding view of the lakefront but a window into its mission.

The new Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies will open Nov. 30 at 610 S. Michigan Ave., just north of its current home. Unlike the old facility, which features few windows, the 10-story, $55 million building will be fronted by a glass facade that serves as a metaphor for Jewish learning and culture. It also is designed to convey a feeling of transparency and civic commitment.

"This is a gift to the city," Spertus President Howard A. Sulkin said of the facility, designed by the Chicago-based firm of Krueck & Sexton Architects.

The plan marked the first test of whether an unabashedly contemporary building could comply with the strict guidelines governing the 12-block stretch of Michigan between Randolph and 11th Streets. The area received landmark status in 2002.

"The challenge was to design a building for the 21st Century in a district surrounded by 19th and early 20th Century neighbors," said architect Mark Sexton, who led a group of about 120 journalists, donors and city officials who stepped gingerly amid concrete and steel studs. The firm's credits also include the Crown Fountain in Millennium Park.

The 155,000-square-foot facility is being constructed on one of the last two open spaces in the historic district and will make Spertus one of the largest Jewish museums in the country.

In addition to displaying about 1,000 objects from its 15,000-piece collection, the building will include a 400-seat theater for live performances, film and music; a rooftop "sky" garden; an interactive children's center designed by Redmoon Theater artistic director Jim Lasko; and expanded gallery, classroom and library space.

In a nod to the importance of food in ethnic culture, the new site will also include a Wolfgang Puck cafe that will be the only kosher restaurant in the Loop. The renowned California-based restaurateur married into a Jewish family in 1983 and is credited with bringing a haute cuisine twist to the usual chopped liver and brisket fare.

Space will be available to rent for both public and private events.

But the key architectural feature is the facade, composed of 720 individual pieces of glass in 250 shapes. Most of the surrounding buildings are stone, brick and terra cotta, yet the innovative design sailed through the city's review. In an area dominated by private buildings, the facility also will offer public access to breathtaking views of Grant Park and Lake Michigan.

"This new facility says, 'Let me reach my arms out and embrace you,'" Sulkin said.

But in the post-9/11 world, the decision to extend a warm and welcoming invitation to all people is not reached easily, Sulkin acknowledged.

"We made a conscious decision to reject a fortress mentality," he said. "I hope to God I don't have to eat my words." For good measure, an Israeli security expert was consulted in the process, Sulkin said.

Along with the emphasis on light, the new facility is billed as a model of environmental sustainability -- right down to the inclusion of a bike room for employees -- in keeping with the Jewish tenets of bal tashchit (not to waste) and tikkun olam (to repair the world).

---------

brubin@tribune.com



Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune

[nomarandlee]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0704240883apr25,1,2309589.story?coll=chi-news-hed

PERSONALS: WHO?S WHO & WHAT?S UP

Spertus exhibits planned

By Alan g. Artner
Published April 25, 2007

When the new Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies opens on Nov. 30, the museum that is a part of it will resume an active program of exhibitions devoted to art and culture. The first four shows, announced Tuesday, will be:

"The New Authentics: Artists of the Post-Jewish Generation," presenting works by 16 contemporary American artists who address Jewishness in American culture (Nov. 30, 2007-March 31, 2008).

"Mapping Dystopia," presenting antique maps of the Holy Land with works by contemporary Israeli- and Palestinian-born artists who explore national borders and identity (April-June 2008).

"Twisted Beyond Recognition: Cliches of Jews and Others," in which the theme is addressed by classical and contemporary visual art, music, video and film (July-October 2008).

"African American Art and the Julius Rosenwald Fund," the first show to treat the legacy of a Chicago effort that, from 1928 to 1948, awarded stipends to hundreds of artists, writers and scholars (December 2008-April 2009).

Two site-specific commissions, by artists Arnold Dreyblatt and Ranbir Kaleka, also will be in the new Spertus facility, designed by Krueck & Sexton Architects.

----------

Personals was compiled by Kim Profant from Tribune news services and staff reports



Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune

[Chicagotom]

Has anyone else noticed that they seem to have come to a virtual standstill on the glass wall? Anyone have the scoop?

[i_am_hydrogen]

The New Spertus Lightens Up (Genesis 1-3)

by Lynn Becker
April 27, 2007

Note: For the photos accompanying this story, visit Lynn's website (http://lynnbecker.com/repeat/spertus/spertus.htm)

Seven months. That's how much time Krueck & Sexton architects and O'Neil Construction have to bring the Spertus Institute's ten floors of what is Great Hall, the Spertus Institute, Chicago, Krueck and Sexton, architectsnow mostly bare steel interior wall framing to their final finish, in time for the announced November 29th gala and November 30th opening.

Taking a press tour of the new building this past Wednesday was like looking at an x-ray. You fill in the flesh with your imagination. Yet, every time we gravitated towards the front of the structure, the finish was already there. While from the outside, the Spertus will be defined by Mark Sexton and Ron Kruek, architects, Spertus Instituteits spectacular, faceted curtain wall, once inside, the richest finish will be the spectacular views out over Grant Park and Lake Michigan.

Inside and out, transparency is the keynote of the new Spertus. “We walked through this building,” architect Mark Sexton said of the current Spertus, just to the south, “and we could see this incredible energy, this fever of activity in this building. Yet is was all isolated, it all occurred in individual cubicles. So Howard [Sulkin, the Spertus's dynamo of a President] and the entire staff and leadership of Spertus said part of our task is to open it up, to reveal it, to express this energy, express this dynamism that really occurs here and I think that for us is such a central point of design for the entire building.”

The Spertus is at the south end of the Historic Michigan Boulevard District, an official city landmark that stretches an entire mile from Randolph to 11th Streets., centered by Adler & Sullivan's seminal Auditorium Building of 1887, and also including structures designed by Burnham and Company, Holabird and Roche, and Marshall and Fox. Before the new Spertus came along, the only strong dose of modernism on the strip came from A. Epstein and Sons' Spertus Institute, Krueck and Sexton, architectsclassy, under-rated Borg-Warner Building at Michigan and Adams, and that one will be half-a-century old next year.

Sexton said that Spertus “didn’t want something that was a recycling of another thought. It was, 'let’s do something that is original, dynamic and really forward thinking because that’s what we are as an organization.'”

“What that allowed to happen” added partner Ron Krueck, “is not to just replicate history but to become part of the history of the boulevard . . . It is a preservation district. So we had to go in front of the whole City Council and get approval for the building. And it was with a great thought and concern that a building like this was accepted and allowed to become part of that history. As the future generations look back, [they'll see] that Spertus Institute, Krueck and Sexton, architects we were not duplicating the past, but we were occupying the moment in the history of that wall, filling that last blank space.”

“This not a vanilla building,” said Sulkin. ”There are several floor with 16-18 foot ceilings, and several floors that are traditional size.”

Light from a skylight will flood the multi-level great hall on the 9th floor, as well as the art galleries on the 10th, and the library reading room on the 8th. A three story entrance will rise behind the entrance, and a design on its back wall will mimic that of the Michigan Avenue curtain wall.

The greatest source of light however, is that great faceted facade. In a press release Spertus Institute, Krueck and Sexton, faceted curtain walldistributed for the tour, Sexton explained its significance. ”Like the bays of its 19th and 20th century neighbors, the facets that create the facade's dynamic crystalline form allow light to extend into the narrow building [80 feet wide, 180 feet deep] . . . The composition of the Spertus facade will change depending on the sun's position, with facets simultaneously transparent, reflective, translucent, and opaque. When panels reflect, they will mirror the building's magnificent setting of sky, sun, and the greenery of Grant Park. At night, the building's interior light will emit a warm glow.”

The 161-foot-high facade consists of 720 individual pieces in 250 different shapes. The aluminum mullions were custom extruded.

When finished, the building's 10th floor fronting will be dominated by a glass-walled "Board Room" that, like many of the building's other public spaces, will be availableSpertus Institute, Krueck and Sexton architects, view from 10th floor boardroom for rental - weddings, birthday parties, bar mitzvah's, etc. The day of the tour offered up a potent calling card. With the glass still to be installed, the views from the Boardroom, and from what will become the adjacent open air garden terrace, were breathtaking. To the north, the Streeterville skyline, Millennium Park, and the sails of Frank Gehry's Pritzker Pavilion, to the south, the Adler Planetarium jutting out into the lake.

It will be another half a year before we see how well it all actually comes out. They'll be a lot more to say about the Spertus then, but the prospects are promising.

http://lynnbecker.com/repeat/spertus/spertus.htm

[Chi649]

5-13-07

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/6995/dsc07769pn9.jpg

[wickedestcity]

nice! whats with the few off colored windows?

[Flubnut]

nice! whats with the few off colored windows?

I'm guessing those colors are temporary, from construction thingamabobs.

[Helmet Yawn]

This would have been an outstanding effort 5 years ago. It is clean and new stylistically to Chicago, and as such, should be applauded.

[High Life on LSD]

This would have been an outstanding effort 5 years ago. It is clean and new stylistically to Chicago, and as such, should be applauded.

Did you get drunk and decide to start talking? What difference does is make if this happened 5 years ago or ten years from now, it looks pretty fuckin cool. You need to talk less.

[Helmet Yawn]

The reason Mozart's music is art is because it was done in the 1700's. If it was doen now, not only would it be mere impersonation, it definitely wouldn't be Art.

Art is of it's time. I didn't mean to hurt anyone's feelings in posting my opinions as it appears I have, but to be honest.

I've seen this "style" before. It's new to Chicago and that's great for this city. But that doesn't change the fact that it's rehashing something that's been done before in Finland, Belgium, and Germany.

That also doesn't diminish the integrity of Kruek & Sexton, the architects of the project. At the moment, they are one of the best architectural firms in Chicago.

Nice talking to you though!

[UrbanSophist]

http://img238.imageshack.us/img238/303/img2741qq6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Shot with Canon PowerShot S70 (http://profile.imageshack.us/camerabuy.php?model=Canon+PowerShot+S70&make=Canon) at 2007-07-05

[High Life on LSD]

That looks pretty impressive.

[geoff_diamond]

Apparently there's actually a frit on the glass... so, that's as transparent as it's gonna get :(

Hot as hell nonetheless, but, I was hoping for something a little more crystalline.

[Chicagotom]

Geoff D - explain frit on the glass. You mean a UV coating?

[geoff_diamond]

A frit is basically a pattern that is applied to the glazing at the time of production - it looks much like sandblasted or frosted glass would (although it's a different process). If you've ever looked closely at the base of Blue Cross Blue Shield (as in, within 5 feet of the lobby) you'll notice a "checked" pattern. This is an example of a "frit."

[InTheLoopSam]

Check out this weeks Crain's for a cover story on Kruek and Sexton, featuring Spertus. This project is an absolute beauty. A perfect example of how we need much, much, much more cutting-edge, modern design intermixed (including abutting) the historic architecture stock in the South Loop.

The writer of the article actually managed to find one rube (Martin Tangora - a Landmarks Illinois Board Member) who doesn't like it!

[geoff_diamond]

In case anyone was unaware - the building directly to the south of Spertus (owned by Columbia College) will be getting a much needed facelift (including glazing at street level instead of the current solid wall).

[ardecila]

Is the original facade, or a 1960s butchering being replaced?

[Chicagotom]

The site was vacant for as long as I can remember. I have seen very old pictures of course were a building was there but its been many decades ago. It will interesting to see what happens to the structure to the south (left). Were the Spertus Institute is moving out of. I believe that one of the local unversities has purchased it. Maybe Columbia?

[geoff_diamond]

I'm not sure if we're completely replacing the facade or just rehabbing it - I'm not on the project. I do know it involves some super graphics.

[Retrograde]

July 6, 2007

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/1602/dsc0480cq1.jpg

http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/2739/dsc0474pk3.jpg

http://img456.imageshack.us/img456/8462/dsc0169qj0.jpg

http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/1445/dsc0099kp3.jpg

[UrbanSophist]

http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/1445/dsc0099kp3.jpg

Nice!

[geoff_diamond]

Okay... that picture is amazing! Spertus doesn't even look real!!! I never would've guessed it to have any kind of presence from the lake.

[Mr Downtown]

Here's a closeup of the frit pattern. Sorry there's nothing in the image to offer scale, but each dot is about 6 mm in diameter. Bear in mind that this façade has full eastern exposure. The solar loading would be devastating without a frit.

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/2912/spertusfritsp4.jpg

[Chicagotom]

Okay... that picture is amazing! Spertus doesn't even look real!!! I never would've guessed it to have any kind of presence from the lake.

Wait until this thing is lit up at night. Also thanks for the upclose "frit" picture MrDT

[i_am_hydrogen]

July 6, 2007http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/1445/dsc0099kp3.jpg

Excellent shot. Spertus looks amazing from out there.

[ardecila]

Does anyone know what will happen to the Harrison Hotel + Travelodge sign, and the horrible parking structure it sits atop?

I don't care if it's the tallest parking garage in Chicago, it's a blight.

[Flubnut]

They should take down the Firstar Bank sign while they're at it (just out of the picture above, to the right.) I can't believe they covered all the letters with fabric, presumably because the bank relocated or was bought out, and then left it like that. It sure adds to the spectacular westward views from Millenium Park...

[spyguy]

The New Spertus is Open to the Public!
Friday, November 30 from 10am - 3pm

http://img455.imageshack.us/img455/9191/sectionviewea9.gif

[i_am_hydrogen]

I guess this means we can put this one into the "Completed" column.

FYI: According to Dan_In_Chicago from Emporis, the official height is 161'.

[i_am_hydrogen]

Shots by Cbautz at SSP (check out his thread (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=140921)):

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2081/1935016033_ef61445f2e_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2078/1935017259_c6074cdd7a_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2408/1935018217_02a7076d45_b.jpg

[spyguy]

Here's a closeup of the frit pattern. Sorry there's nothing in the image to offer scale, but each dot is about 6 mm in diameter. Bear in mind that this façade has full eastern exposure. The solar loading would be devastating without a frit.

http://www.chicagomag.com/Radar/Coda/November-2007/Behind-the-Curtain-Wall-the-New-Spertus/

Behind the (Curtain) Wall: the New Spertus

Q: Is there a weird "only Cassie would be interested in this" fact that you're going to include?
A: Why, yes, yes there is. If you look closely at the glass, you'll see hundreds of little dots. Another writer and I were curious about them; is the only purpose they serve to reduce the glare? No, it turns out. The ceramic dots give the glass wall texture, which, in turn, helps birds see the building. An extraordinary number of birds fly into Chicago buildings and die every year. This is a way to curb the birds' early trips to heaven.
http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/5225/1120coda1mm0.jpghttp://img406.imageshack.us/img406/8432/1120coda2le0.jpg
-----------

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/660306,CST-NWS-spertus21.article
New Spertus a crowning jewel for Michigan Ave.
OPENS NOV. 30 | Glass facade resembles irregularly cut gem

November 21, 2007
BY KEVIN NANCE

Michigan Avenue has a fresh jewel in its crown: the new Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, whose faceted glass facade is in sharp contrast to the more traditional architecture surrounding it on Chicago's most famous streetwall.
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/6840/112107spertuscstfeed200lu9.jpg

[spyguy]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-spertus21nov21,0,2692764.story

Spertus now showcase from top to bottom
10-story Institute of Jewish Studies draws visitors inside

By William Mullen
November 21, 2007

It used to be that you had to look pretty carefully at the buildings in the 600 block of South Michigan Avenue if you wanted to find the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, housed in a nondescript little office building next to a vacant lot.

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/7519/33881085nc9.jpg
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/379/33881119mg3.jpg
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/9548/33881115hq6.jpg
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/706/33881123xt4.jpg
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/1678/33881118fy9.jpg
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/3753/33881122gp2.jpg
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/7316/33881126te8.jpg
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/4358/33881125qh3.jpg

[Chicagophotoshop]

this is an awesome building. very chicago

[Mr Downtown]

Please elaborate. Especially if one thinks of the classic Chicago School forms and palette of materials, this seems about as nonChicago as one can imagine . . .

(Nota bene: I am not trying to provoke an argument about whether it's attractive nor about whether it's appropriate for the Michigan Avenue streetwall. I'm simply curious about the "very Chicago" remark.)

[CHIsentinel]

^^You're thinking too much in terms of the traditional definition of the Chicago School which I think is very common - I think this represents a new generation of the Chicago School and a new way of presenting what that definition represents - before, "Chicago School" architecture followed a very specific pattern (the tripartite window presentation, the marrying of neo-classicism with then-contemporary building innovations, etc.), which is what defined the architecture of that time, but now, it isn't a consistency of the design which defines Chicago School, but rather the fact that the architects themselves, based here, working here, innovating here, THAT is the new definition of Chicago school - Ralph Johnson, Mark Sexton, Jeannie Gang, John Ronan, Elvia Rubio, Adrian Smith, the newer designers at SOM etc.; I think that is one of the biggest differences between architecture here in Chicago vs. NYC for example, where architects from around the world bring their designs to New York - Maki, Foster, Jean Nouvel, Gehry; where there is no "NYC School" - lots of great architects in NYC, but no true definition of a style emerging from the city - whereas in Chicago, the home-grown talent defines the course of the designs.

[ardecila]

I think that is one of the biggest differences between architecture here in Chicago vs. NYC for example, where architects from around the world bring their designs to New York - Maki, Foster, Jean Nouvel, Gehry; where there is no "NYC School" - lots of great architects in NYC, but no true definition of a style emerging from the city - whereas in Chicago, the home-grown talent defines the course of the designs.

As wonderful and inspiring as that sounds, I'm gonna be pragmatic here: the reason Chicago projects use local designers is because they don't want to pay the astronomical costs of hiring international starchitects. Even here, the projects with the highest profiles (the Spire, Millennium Park) go for the starchitects.

We're lucky to have such amazing local talent, though.

[CHIsentinel]

^^^ I'm in total agreement here, yes, Gehry, Renzo Piano, Calatrava, etc., have made significant contributions to the local architectural landscape, but I think the point has been missed: where those starchitects contribute to exactly what you said, the large, one-of-a-kind marquee projects, the language/style/look/movement of 99.9% of all of the other projects are defined by those local designers that I mentioned in my last post - that essentially also become diluted, bastardized and copied/modified by a large number of second-tier design professionals, builders, etc. That is the definition of the new Chicago school to me, not a type of building, but a type of architect who is progressive, bold, and creative and gives the city beautiful projects like the new Spertus addition (apologies if I wasn't clear enough previously).

[BVictor1]

ARCHITECTURE

Blades of glass
New Spertus Institute's gemlike wall of glass a welcome counterpoint on South Michigan

By Blair Kamin | Tribune architecture critic
November 25, 2007

http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2007-11/33881085.jpg

Chicago's rough-hewn cityscape, already studded with architectural jewels, has a sparkling new gem. It resembles an exquisitely cut diamond dropped into the great wall of stone that rises like a cliff across from Grant Park.

[wrabbit]

^^ To quote myself from SSP (LOL), thanks for posting this. Kamin is pretty much spot on here - he stresses the importance of depth and three-dimensionality in the facade, and the ways in which constraints can fuel creative solutions - and IMHO K&S deserves all the accolades we can toss out.

Now, somebody, anybody, please give these chaps a tower project - Hines? Magellan? Buck? Anyone out there? Anybody care?

[globill]

I love it. Mazel Tov Chicago!

[wrabbit]

Some shots from inside at today's open house at the new annex:

9-10F
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/2spertuspano2.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/L1030197-1.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/L1030175.jpg

View from the 2F cafe(teria)
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/L1030181-1.jpg

[i_am_hydrogen]

Nice shots, wrabbit.

[wrabbit]

^ Thks.

-----

Good write-up in ************* on Spertus:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/logobig.gif
Krueck + Sexton Architects
Spertus
Chicago, Illinois

By its transparency the facade announces the accessible and public nature of Spertus.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/1spertus-1.jpg

.....Like the surrounding buildings, many constructed in the period of tremendous architectural innovation that followed the Chicago fire, this building is forward-looking in its design and use of materials, while maintaining respect for its important setting.....

http://www.*************/architects/krueck_sexton/spertus/spertus.html

[cheeps]

Bravo!!! This building is a work of art.

[ChicagoSchool]

Magnificent indeed. Deserving more praise than presently receiving!

Looking foward to more from Krueck + Sexton Architects. They're reportedly linked with new Children's Museum.

[UrbanSophist]

Nice view of the lake from this building!