CHICAGO | 340 On The Park | 672ft | 64 fl | Com

[Patrick 340]

Height: 672 ft
Floor count: 64
Location: 340 East Randolph
Construction end: 2007
Architect: Solomon, Cordwell, Buenz and Associates
Developer: LR Development Company, LLC

Website (http://www.340ontheparkchicago.com/)

http://img480.imageshack.us/img480/1994/340otpsouthfacadegw2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Hello all -

I think it is a good idea to start an independent thread for 340 on the Park. The Lakeshore East (New Eastside) area will be getting very crowded.

I have some new photos of the beginning of the construction process at 340 on the Park. The caisson drilling equipment has arrived.

http://www.340owners.com/photos/images_c/c020.jpg

I will keep posting photos to: 340owners.com (http://www.340owners.com/index.htm)

[geoff_diamond]

Okay, I had no idea that 340 had such an organic footprint! I always just assumed (from all the renderings that I've seen) that it was rectilinear. Anyway, here's the plan view of the amenities floor (from the official 340 web site).

http://www.340ontheparkchicago.com/images/amenitieplan.jpg

[BVictor1]

I grabbed these renderings from the SCB website.

The southern facade.
http://63.240.68.115/FirmFiles/95/images/image%5F340%2D81%2Ejpg

The northern facade.
http://63.240.68.115/FirmFiles/95/images/image%5F340%2D71%2Ejpg

The base at and lobby at Randolph Street.
http://63.240.68.115/FirmFiles/95/images/image%5F340%2D31%2Ejpg

The interior of the lobby.
http://63.240.68.115/FirmFiles/95/images/image%5F340%2D51%2Ejpg

[geoff_diamond]

Well, now that I look at the rendering for the north facade I can sort of see the sweeping curve (but, I've still got to examine it pretty closely). Also, the lobby looks awefully commercial to me - it's gorgeous, but, it just doesn't belong with a residential tower.

[Jaroslaw]

Great site.

Does anyone have the floorplans? (The official website is flashy-bare bones!)

[BVictor1]

The floor plans in the sales packet I have are probably about the same as what's on the website. Like you see the amenities level floor plans above, that's basically similar to the stuff that I have.

[The Mad Hatter!!]

lloks nice,looks more office than residential

[BVictor1]

I don't think that it necessarily looks like an office building. It's just really modern. It's good architecture and and that's something that we're not used to seeing when it comes to residential towers. I mean how would you have it look?

It's quite sheek...

Besides, office building don't have balconies.

[Tom in Chicago]

Okay, I had no idea that 340 had such an organic footprint! I always just assumed (from all the renderings that I've seen) that it was rectilinear.

yeah. . . it tapers to a point on the east end thanks in part to the residents at the Buckingham (360 East Randolph) who would otherwise have lost part of their views to the west. . . they may be breaking ground today, but as of this morning no caisson's have been dug. . .

[Frumie]

Construction, Conversion Adding 1,173 ‘East Side’ Units
By Mark Ruda
Last updated: February 28, 2005 08:33am

CHICAGO-While ground has been broken on the 324-unit Regatta and 344-unit 340 on the Park condominium towers in Lakeshore East, sales are expected to begin this weekend at 474 N. Lake Shore Dr., a 61-story multifamily rental building being converted to 505 condominiums.
NNP Residential & Development and Magellan Development Group Ltd. already have sold 84% of the units in their Regatta at 400 E. Waterside Dr., which has helped the developers land $122 million in construction financing from National City Bank and LaSalle Bank. McHugh Construction is building the 44-story building designed by DeStefano + Partners Inc.

“The Regatta has been one of the fastest selling projects in the Downtown Chicago market this year,” says Appraisal Research Counselors vice president Gail Lissner. “The strength of its Lakeshore East location has been a strong selling point, with its views and proximity to the Loop, Michigan Avenue, Lakeshore Drive, the Chicago River and the new Millennium Park.”

LR Development’s 62-story tower at 340 E. Randolph Dr. offers units beginning with 1,186-sf one-bedroom condos at $325,000. Solomon Cordwell Buenz & Associates is the architect.

North of the Chicago River, renovations to 474 N. Lake Shore Dr., built in 1990, are scheduled to begin in November. The conversion will offer 642-sf studios for less than $200,000 to 2,005-sf penthouses for more than $750,000. “The range of residences available here is attracting a wide variety of buyers seeking the advantages of life on the New East Side,” says 474 Lake Shore Drive Associates LLC marketing director Sandra Farrell.

[geoff_diamond]

I didn't realize North Pier Tower had a Lakeshore address... that's a bit of a stretch seeing as how there is no access to the building from Lakeshore Drive :)

[BVictor1]

I didn't realize North Pier Tower had a Lakeshore address... that's a bit of a stretch seeing as how there is no access to the building from Lakeshore Drive :)


Agreed. The entrance is from Illinois. I work in the building next door. I hate that tower. It looks like a verticle turd...

[Jaroslaw]

I didn't realize North Pier Tower had a Lakeshore address... that's a bit of a stretch seeing as how there is no access to the building from Lakeshore Drive :)

Like 530 LSD, 840 LSD, just off the top of my head. Anyway, that stretch of road is a highway, more or less.

[geoff_diamond]

Thus... they shouldn't have LSD addresses. I can't tell you how many movie-going tourists I've had come up to me to ask why they couldn't seem to find 600 N. Michigan - well, naturally, it's a full block from Michigan Avenue on Rush.

[Tom in Chicago]

340 on the Park is under construction as of yesterday. . . no big newsflash but the first caisson was drilled. . . woohoo. . . let's all drink a bottle of champaign. . . or beer. . .

[BVictor1]

340 on the Park is under construction as of yesterday. . . no big newsflash but the first caisson was drilled. . . woohoo. . . let's all drink a bottle of champaign. . . or beer. . .

Thats great. I really love this tower. This is the first 3rd major tower to break ground this year after The Regatta and 345 East Ohio.

Lets go Trump and Waterview.

[Jaroslaw]

This is the first 3rd major tower to break ground this year after The Regatta and 345 East Ohio.

The Regatta broke ground last November.

[Tom in Chicago]

^Yeah. . . and they just put up a second tower crane today. . . seems like overkill for a tower of that size. . .

[BVictor1]

The Regatta broke ground last November.

Sure did. I forgot.

Then I guess it's the second, someone correct me if i'm wrong.

[BVictor1]

^Yeah. . . and they just put up a second tower crane today. . . seems like overkill for a tower of that size. . .

Maybe, but now they can pour twice as much concrete at the same time :)

[Jaroslaw]

<< Exactly, and first move-ins are scheduled for July 06. That means topped out in about ten months, eleven max. A floor of parking takes at least a week (more concrete), and there are four or five of those. So when they hit their stride, it's going to be a floor every week, if not faster.

[Patrick 340]

Here are some new photos ... Today (March 2, 2005) at 5:00 pm

http://www.340owners.com/photos/images_c/c029.jpg

http://www.340owners.com/photos/images_c/c030.jpg

All photos posted at: 340owners.com (http://www.340owners.com/index.htm)

[The Urban Politician]

I really love this building.

I can't wait to slowly watch this beauty come up.

God, who knows when I'll get back to Chicago...

[BVictor1]

I don't know if anyone realized this, but there is a new height for 340 On the Park. The old height given was 640', but in reality, that height was about 30' to short. The new updated height for 340 On the PArk is 672'.

[lazar22b]

^^Thats great. If that is true that means it will become the tallest all residential building in Chicago :)

[geoff_diamond]

Until OMP is finished :)

[BVictor1]

^^Thats great. If that is true that means it will become the tallest all residential building in Chicago :)


It's true. I saw the construction drawings myself this past Saturday.

672'

[Patrick 340]

Hi all -

I scanned in over 40 floor plans today. You must take a look at the "X" Units on the top 2 floors. Also, there is a pretty fair architectural site plan image with a link at the top of the floor plans page.


http://www.340owners.com/floorplans/floorplans.htm

[Patrick 340]

^^Thats great. If that is true that means it will become the tallest all residential building in Chicago :)

I believe you can say that it will be the tallest "all residential" building. Many of these other very tall "residential" buildings contain some kind of commercial or public space in addition to the residences.

[Tom in Chicago]

^Well yeah. . . that's an absolute. . . BVictor, Dan and Marshall got the height information last weekend confirming this fact. . . thanks for the site plan. . . your site is coming along nicely. . .

[Chicago3rd]

LAKESHORE EAST. Construction has begun at 340 on the Park, a 62-story condominium building at 340 E. Randolph in Lakeshore East.

The high-rise will have 344 units; more than half have been sold since sales began in October.

Prices start at $325,000. Sizes range from 1,186 to 5,489 square feet. The modernist structure was designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz & Associates.

Amenities include a fitness center, a 25-yard lap pool and a garden on the 25th floor. Plans also call for underground parking and retail space.

"The site will offer home buyers panoramic views of Grant Park, Millennium Park, the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan," said Thomas O. Weeks, president of LR Development Company, the builder.

A sales center for 340 on the Park is in the John Hancock Center, 875 N. Michigan.

340 on the Park, 340 E. Randolph, Chicago. LR Development, (312) 397-8900.

[chicagogeorge]

Excellent, another building well over 600 ft in the Chi!

Side note, I'm closing on my 2 bed to bath unit in the Michigan Ave, Towers today!

[BVictor1]

THE HOUSE HUNTER
`Green' tower offers views of a stellar park

Sharon Stangenes
Published April 16, 2005

It is little more than a hole in the ground, but 340 on the Park is nearly 65 percent sold.

The 62-story glass tower's stellar location at 340 E. Randolph St., across the street from Grant Park with unobstructed south views no doubt has been a major factor in jumpstarting sales. But for a few early buyers, the developer's claim that this is a "green design" building may help clinch the deal.

Green building, a philosophy for putting together energy-efficient, healthy and environment-sensitive structures, is one of the hot topics in construction.

Officials of LR Development, in a joint venture with Magellan and NNP Residential & Development, say the building in the Lakeshore East project is "on track to become Chicago's first residential tower designed to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification standards."

The acronym means little to most buyers today, but a number of builders--including LR--predict it will be far more common in the future.

LEED is a rating system established by the U.S. Green Building Council in the late 1990s. The council is a coalition of people in the building industry with the goal of promoting environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Advocates consider the LEED certification a kind of scorecard on energy efficiency and ecological sensitivity.

Interest in LEED has grown so rapidly since its introduction that several panelists at a recent building conference here predicted that within seven to 15 years, most new commercial buildings in the U.S. will be LEED-certified.

Under the program, an architect submits plans to a third party for LEED review several times before and during construction. The plans are checked, suggestions may be made and points are given in these categories: sustainable site, water efficiency, energy and environmental atmosphere, material and resources, indoor environmental quality and innovation and design.

After construction, a LEED inspector visits the project to make sure it is built as planned and a final score is tallied. Buildings are ranked (lowest to highest) certified, silver, gold and platinum.

Critics say LEED's third-party inspection of plans and construction is an unnecessary expense for what good builders already do. In addition, the system does not always guarantee the promised results, they charge.

Advocates of the program say a third party is the best assurance of environmentally sensitive construction. They say complaints of added costs are exaggerated, especially when factored over what they say will be a longer building life.

Devised for new and existing commercial buildings and interiors, there as yet is no specific LEED standard for residential construction. But projects such as 340 on the Park, planned for 344 condos, can be submitted as a new commercial building, said Kerry Dickson, senior vice-president of LR Development.

There were a variety of reasons to design to LEED standards, Dickson said. Among them: the growing interest in green design among buyers who can afford to be picky, as a way to differentiate 340 from the competition and as a response to the city's interest in sustainable design.

It is "one of the pieces of the sales story," he said.

Like many new buildings in the heart of Chicago, 340 will have a "green" roof, although it will be small in comparison to the size of the project, if the scale model in the sales office is accurate.

Roof will be truly green

Atop a bunker-like base behind the Randolph Street entrance, the "green" roof will be planted with vegetation to help reduce urban pollution.

Many "green" elements in buildings involve decisions made in methods of construction, choice of building materials and internal systems, and in reduction of construction waste. Such behind-the-walls decisions are unseen and of little concern to buyers.

One visible green element at 340 is the use of bamboo flooring in the living and dining area and kitchen of all condos, except for the 16 penthouses which buyers can finish as they please. Bamboo is fast growing and easier to replenish than hardwood.

One-bedroom units start at $314,900; two-bedrooms are from $519,000 and three-bedroom condos begin about $1.1 million. The penthouses start at $2 million.

The most radical idea for many prospective buyers may be that there is only one choice in cabinets, flooring and fixtures in the "unified design" interiors.

What you see is what you get--there are no options--in the one-bedroom mock-up model in the LR sales center in the John Hancock Center.

In the model, the front door opens to a foyer with a large coat closet on the left and a powder room on the right. The open living and dining space are along a wall of windows. At the back of the living room is a sleek, smallish but very stylish kitchen.

A counter with Snaidero cherry cabinets, dual sinks, dishwasher and undercounter microwave separates the kitchen from the dining area.

On the back wall of the kitchen is a five-burner range, refrigerator and limited counter space. The back splash is translucent glass tile.

This is a model where Toto toilets are standard and the bath and powder room are comfortably sized. Composite marble tile is used for both flooring and countertops. The full bath comes with dual sinks, tub, shower and Snaidero oak cabinets.

The bedroom has a good-sized linen closet and a walk-in closet. It is spacious but needs to be because this is pretty much the only storage in the condo; so clothes, vacuum, mop, ironing board, luggage, everything will be stashed here.

All units have a washer and dryer hookup (in this model in a closet across the entry from the powder room) and many have outdoor balconies.

Because of an exterior architectural element of the building, buyers face a choice between a windowsill 24 inches above the floor or windows from the floor to a valance 24 inches below the ceiling. No big deal.

"Green is not prevalent enough in the marketplace for most people to be aware of it," sales manager Laura Davis Molk said of the reaction of most prospective buyers.

What people really relate to "is that you have gone above and beyond and spent a little more on a comprehensive plan. It shows we are cutting-edge and it's not like an aesthetic sacrifice," she said.

Dickson agrees there is interest in green construction "but right now it is sixth or seventh" in priority for most buyers, he said.

The cost for the effort cannot be determined yet, since construction is still in the early stages.

One of the final challenges is the commissioning process after the building is completed, Dickson said.

"Every building has a punch list but this takes that to a new level," he said.

Whatever the cost, he suggests Chicagoans may see more LEED residential buildings in the future.

"I think the city is going to insist on it," Dickson observed.

- - -

340 on the Park

Address: 340 E. Randolph Dr.

Developer: LR Development in joint venture with Magellan and NNP Residential & Development

Phone: 312-397-8900

Web: www.340ontheparkchicago.com

Description: 62-story tower with 343 one-, two-, three and four bedroom condos with 1,081 to 5,489 square feet, including 16 penthouses, priced from $314,000 to $3.95 million. Estimated monthly assessments, $285 to $1,800. Deeded parking, $40,000 to $60,000. Prices as of April 5.

Amenities: Bamboo flooring in living/dining and kitchen, Snaidero cabinets, GE Monogram stainless steel appliances and composite quartz countertops in kitchen; Snaidero cabinets, composite marble tile and countertops in bath; doorman; fitness center.

Neighborhood: East of Michigan Avenue near Grant Park. Short walk to lake, near dining, shopping, cultural institutions.

----------

sstangenes@tribune.com

[BVictor1]

Some updated construction shots.

https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2005/05/358869.jpg

https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2005/05/358871.jpg

https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2005/05/358870.jpg

[geoff_diamond]

anyone know where I can find some rebar?

[spyguy]

http://img26.echo.cx/img26/3593/3405nb.png

[BVictor1]

http://img26.echo.cx/img26/3593/3405nb.png

This building, in my opinion screams CHICAGO. There is an impressive broadness and stature to the building. It's a hulk of beautiful architecture. I wish Mayor Daley had cracked down on architecture years ago.

They need to demolish all of the buildings east of 340otP and begin fresh IMO.

[geoff_diamond]

Yeah, there's definately some shit lurking around the New East Side *cough* Park Millennium *cough*

[BVictor1]

Yeah, there's definately some shit lurking around the New East Side *cough* Park Millennium *cough*

Actually, that building no longer really concerns me. Yes, I personally do detest the thing, but eventually it will be blocked by everything built within Lakeshore East. I'm mainly refering too the towers along Randolph, including The Buckingham and Outer Drive East.

[Steely Dan]

^ harbor point is still wicked-cool, though.

[geoff_diamond]

blech! Harbor Point is a really bad knockoff LPT!!!!

[ChicagoLover]

^ Well yes, but if you're going to knock off something, LPT would be a good choice.

[Krzycho]

Update from last sunday
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/krzycho/chicago%20uc/P8300077.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/krzycho/chicago%20uc/P8300076.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/krzycho/chicago%20uc/P8300075.jpg

[Patrick 340]

http://www.340owners.com/photos/images_c/c069.jpg


http://www.340owners.com/photos/images_c/c070.jpg


http://www.340owners.com/photos/images_c/c071.jpg

[Latoso]

It sure is coming along quickly. I can't wait to see it poking above Randolph.

[geoff_diamond]

Man... they are absolutely flying! Two weeks ago, there wasn't even a slab on the site!

[Krzycho]

Yeah, I like it, one week and so big different :applause:

[wickedestcity]

thats what happens whe you got the money to make things happen

[Mahalo26]

All,

I think 340 OTP will be one of the best residential buildings to hit the Chicago market in a long time. The architecture and location of the building will be hard to compete with. Those people with south facing units will have spectacular views. Anxious to see how it sprouts up over Upper Randolph - they are moving quick, so it won't be too long!

[RockfordSoxFan]

340 OTP is top notch, definately. When I take my trips into the city this summer I am looking forward to checking out some of the new sites, 340 OTP included. I am jealous of all these wonderful sites and developments you Chicago "city" forumers get to look at everyday. I havent been in since the January 2nd Bear/Packer Game. Cant wait to see Central Station too- a few months gone by....

Oh, and welcome to the forum Mahalo26

[geoff_diamond]

Rockford - we look forward to having you again. You won't be disappointed, I assure you - especially when you stop by Central Station, it's grown by leaps and bounds since the end of last year (even if that seemed impossible).

[BVictor1]

I think that they are starting to erect the tower crane today. I will stop by there after work and check back here later on tonight.

[Frumie]

I think that they are starting to erect the tower crane today. I will stop by there after work and check back here later on tonight.
BVictor, you are definitely our "man about town" many thanks

[BVictor1]

BVictor, you are definitely our "man about town" many thanks

I need to retract my previous statement. I think that I jumped the gunn. When I went to linch today, I looked again, and it seemed as if that crane was delivering something the the top portion of the lowrise section of the Shoreham. I didn't get a chance to look after work, so I'll have to do it tomorrow.

[Tom in Chicago]

The crane should be completely up by now. . . as of this morning they were preparing to raise the boom. . .

[itsnotrequired]

The crane should be completely up by now. . . as of this morning they were preparing to raise the boom. . .

I can see the crane from my office window. The cab is installed and I noticed the ground-crane stretching high into the sky but it went back down without lifting anything. Well, at least not anything for the tower crane.

[geoff_diamond]

awesome!!! I'm gonna try to get over there tonight to check it out :)

[itsnotrequired]

Eh, 4 PM and the tower crane arm is not installed. Looks like tomorrow at the earliest.

[BVictor1]

I took these pictures Tuesday afternoon May 25, 2005.

Doing maintainence on the boom before its erection.
http://img290.echo.cx/img290/250/p10002201ql.jpg

Looking southwest across the site.
http://img290.echo.cx/img290/9426/p10002214xk.jpg

http://img279.echo.cx/img279/1503/p10002229xh.jpg

The boom.
http://img279.echo.cx/img279/977/p10002233ch.jpg

[Latoso]

Great Pics BVic

[itsnotrequired]

Well, its 4:00 again and still no boom up on the tower crane. Huh?

[itsnotrequired]

Okay, looks like we're in business. 7:45 AM and the boom is hoisted and being secured as I type this. Woo-hoo! :cheers:

[BVictor1]

Well, the tower crane for 340 On the Park is now up. I took this pic around noon today.

http://img180.echo.cx/img180/8923/p10002717tp.jpg

[geoff_diamond]

Yay!!! I was kind of hoping that i would somehow be able to see this sneaking around one of the sides of Aon, but, I can't :(

[Mahalo26]

Saw this article in the June 2005 Issue of New Homes. Only further substantiates the value of this building.

340 on the Park
Chicago’s best new highrise
Inspired by a location on the new Millennium Park, LR Development decided its latest highrise had to be a visionary building. The result, designed by architects Solomon Cordwell Buenz & Associates, promises to be just that. In addition to being a “green” building and potentially Chicago’s first LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) residential highrise, the 62-story tower was conceived to anticipate and eliminate the need for endless upgrades. Instead, it offers a “singular, cohesive aesthetic” that closely coordinates interior and exterior design, according to Laura Molk, of LR Realty, sales agent for 340 on the Park.

LR is using environmentally friendly building materials and renewable resources, such as bamboo flooring, and it designed 340 on the Park with highly efficient mechanical systems, a construction waste-recycling program, an irrigation system that uses rainwater and other green features.

There’s no shortage of literal green either since the tower overlooks Millennium and Grant Parks on one side and perches across from the new park in Lakeshore East on the other. To the east, lest we forget, is the lake and to the west, Michigan Avenue’s wall of historic architecture.

The building offers a nearly unbroken span of glass facing south and angling gently east to maximize views. In an unusual approach, LR has coordinated a single unified interior with the exterior in an effort to meet buyers’ tastes, maintain the building’s integrity and deliver a truly complete product.

At press time, remaining condos ranged from $315,000 for a one-bedroom with 1.5 baths to nearly $4 million for a four-bedroom penthouse with 5,500 square feet and 5.5 baths. The building will include retail space, a fitness center, a 25-yard lap pool, a winter garden and a 25th floor clubroom.

[Tom in Chicago]

^Yeah. . . this along with Trump are the best new buildings in Chicago. . .

[Patrick 340]

Here are a few pix from 6/6/05:

http://www.340owners.com/skypix/001.jpg


http://www.340owners.com/skypix/002.jpg


http://www.340owners.com/skypix/003.jpg


http://www.340owners.com/skypix/004.jpg


Great posts about the new building on Columbus behind Blue Cross!

[geoff_diamond]

My god... moving along so quickly! I can't believe the core is already starting to show!

[Mahalo26]

This building is progressing along very quickly - and from what I have heard, they are not having any trouble selling the units. Shows the importance of location, location, location. In my opinion, this will be one of the best residential bldgs in Chicago - both in terms of external and internal design and aesthetics. Beyond Trump, it will be the bldg that captures a lot of attention.

[itsnotrequired]

This building is progressing along very quickly - and from what I have heard, they are not having any trouble selling the units. Shows the importance of location, location, location. In my opinion, this will be one of the best residential bldgs in Chicago - both in terms of external and internal design and aesthetics. Beyond Trump, it will be the bldg that captures a lot of attention.

It is indeed moving quickly. The basement slab is poured as well as the floor above it. I walked by yesterday and they were pouring the slab for the second floor. The core hasn't moved up for a couple weeks though. I imagine it will move up soon now that they have some floors complete.

[i_am_hydrogen]

I was out and about today checking on some projects. I decided to snap a few quick shots of 340 on the Park with my cell phone cam. Sorry for the shitty quality; the light was about gone by the time I took these.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/i_am_hydrogen/PIX_76.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/i_am_hydrogen/PIX_78.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/i_am_hydrogen/PIX_79.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/i_am_hydrogen/PIX_77.jpg

[geoff_diamond]

I was fortunate enough to swing by the 340 site today while they were doing some concrete pours. Managed to snap a few pictures of the overall progress.

pouring concrete into a column form
http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/9669/340016wz.jpg

looking east-northeast across the entirety of the site
http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/4700/340028xw.jpg

more work around one of the column forms
http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/2186/340036ts.jpg

my personal favorite - no caption necessary :)
http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/2069/lol3hk.jpg

[Mahalo26]

All,

Thanks for posting the update pictures. Seems like the building is progressing at great speed - should see a significant structure by the end of 2005. As said before, I think this will be one of the best (and most unique) residential buildings in Chicago. All about location, location, location!

[Mahalo26]

All,

Thanks for posting the updated pictures. Seems like the building is progressing at great speed - should see a significant structure by the end of 2005. As said before, I think this will be one of the best (and most unique) residential buildings in Chicago. All about location, location, location!

[chicagogeorge]

Yeah, the building is progressing rather nicely. I passed by there yesterday.

[BVictor1]

Here are some shots that I took yesterday. Wednesday August 10, 2005

Looking northwest across the construction site
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2005/08/387093.jpg

Viewing the construction site from middle level Randolph Street
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2005/08/387098.jpg

Looking south from the upper level of Wacker Drive
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2005/08/387103.jpg

[itsnotrequired]

Walked by today at she is still chugging along. Concrete was being poured for the floor above directly above the top one in BVictor's last photo post. Floor is now poured up to the level of Upper Randolph.

[geoff_diamond]

I'm so sick of watching reinforced concrete construction!!! Give me something made of steel damnit!!!!!

[ThirdCoast312]

blame it on the chinese

[Frumie]

blame it on the chinese
No. Blame it on the Bush administration's slapping of high tariffs on all imported steels.

[Suburbanite]

^Then we should just make more steel domestically.

[Frumie]

^Then we should just make more steel domestically.
That would be self-defeating in our steel industry's thinking; here they can now raise their prices even more leaving the American consumers to pay twice. Nice work if you can get it.

[HowardL]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but steel has never really been that prevalent in residential construction. Steel sections are deeper, which works well in commercial construction, where you have layers of MEPFP, but residential is better suited to the shallower profile that concrete presents.

We'll see more sexy steel construction, when we start building a few more office buildings.

[geoff_diamond]

I wasn't trying to start any discourse on steel use... and I know that 99% of residential highrise construction is reinforced concrete... I was just making general statement that I'm sick of watching re-con buildings go up! They're not nearly as fun as a steel-skeleton structure to watch!

[HowardL]

^OK

[BVictor1]

I wasn't trying to start any discourse on steel use... and I know that 99% of residential highrise construction is reinforced concrete... I was just making general statement that I'm sick of watching re-con buildings go up! They're not nearly as fun as a steel-skeleton structure to watch!

Well, you're only going to have to wait a little while longer. I'm sure that 300 N. LaSalle will be a steel building.

[geoff_diamond]

I shouldn't complain, 1SD was fun as was Hyatt and 111.

I just want something super-tall and steel :))

[Chicago Shawn]

^The Fairbanks at City Front Plaza will also be a steel frame.

[spyguy]

STEEL: Decline in orders pushes prices down

Bloomberg News
Published September 1, 2005

U.S. steel prices fell for the 11th straight month in August because of fewer orders, a trade publication said Wednesday.

Purchasing Magazine said steel sheet, the most common form of metal, dropped 5.4 percent from July, to $435 a ton. Prices have slid 42 percent since reaching a record $756 a ton in September 2004.

Analyst Charles Bradford said prices likely will jump at least $30 a ton in September, following a price increase announcement by Nucor Corp. earlier this month. Nucor, the nation's second-biggest steelmaker, behind U.S. Steel Corp., is boosting prices to cover the increasing cost of scrap the company melts to make new steel.

Prices for scrap from junked vehicles, or so-called auto bundles, rose 30 percent in August, to $205 a ton. "Scrap is a real good indicator of the health of the market," Bradford said.

[Krzycho]

One shot from last monday:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/krzycho/chicago6/PC280070.jpg

[spyguy]

^^ Thanks for all these construction updates! :)

[spyguy]

Here's one from the 340 Owner's site:

http://img488.imageshack.us/img488/8688/c2050ef.jpg

Construction seems to be cruising along well.

[Adam186]

I likey!

[spyguy]

Looking at a Tribune article they say about 80% has been sold.

[BVictor1]

340 On the Park'
View to the southeast from Columbus Drive - 2005-11-26
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2005/11/418946.jpg

View to the north - 2005-11-26
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2005/11/418949.jpg

Water pipes and ventilation ducts being instaalled in the lower levels - 2005-11-26
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2005/11/418950.jpg

Looking up the eastern face from Buckingham Plaza's driveway - 2005-11-26
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2005/11/418954.jpg

[wickedestcity]

sweet, thanks for the pic update

[Azn_chi_boi]

340 on the park look good. ^^ great picture.

[Chi_Coruscant]

I saw the blue glass windows installed on first two (or three) stories on the west side of 340OTP this morning. It looks nice.

[Krzycho]

12-25-2005
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/krzycho/chicago7/P4180106.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/krzycho/chicago7/P4180107.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/krzycho/chicago7/P4180118.jpg

[aleph_null]

http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/8561/dscn09869ra.jpg

http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/6266/dscn09909oz.jpg

[Chi_Coruscant]

Thanks for the shots, Hazardously wasted and Krzycho! In 5 months, 340OTP will be taller than BCBSIL headquarter.

*My friend who works in BCBSIL told me that it does not abandon the goal of vertical expansion, despite moving some employees to 115 E Wacker building. It is ongoing process.

[The Urban Politician]

Krzycho and HW, you guys should consider becoming Emporis photographers

[aleph_null]

Thank you for the compliment TUP. But I have to learn few more things about taking the pictures with digicam, I only had it for about a year or so. (Nikon Colpix 5200) and I was never really a photographer material ;)

[Krzycho]

Thanks for the shots, Hazardously wasted and Krzycho! In 5 months, 340OTP will be taller than BCBSIL headquarter.

*My friend who works in BCBSIL told me that it does not abandon the goal of vertical expansion, despite moving some employees to 115 E Wacker building. It is ongoing process.
It`s great news, do U know how many floors up?:)

[Krzycho]

Just to make sure, we`re talking about this scraper?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/krzycho/wiezowce/P4180011.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/krzycho/wiezowce/P4180023.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/krzycho/wiezowce/P4180110.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/krzycho/wiezowce/P4180109.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/krzycho/wiezowce/P4180108.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/krzycho/wiezowce/P4180111.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/krzycho/wiezowce/P4180113.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/krzycho/wiezowce/P4180117.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/krzycho/wiezowce/P4180114.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/krzycho/wiezowce/P4180122.jpg

Do You know how it will be looks after expantion? Meaybe have some renderings?

[Chi_Coruscant]

Krzycho, you did a fantastic job of capturing the shots of BCBSIL building. To answer your question, the original plan was to add 20 floors on top of existing building which could potentially be above 600ft. Not sure if anything has changed.

[Krzycho]

Thx :okay:

[aleph_null]

Yup, when I was talking to some architect from Architecture Foundation, she briefly mentioned about this expansion but lacked on any details, other then “sometime in the future”. And I thought it was another 30 floors not 20? Then again…. 20, 30… what’s the difference? ;)

[northsidesoxfan]

...pictures taken on Christmas Day.

http://images.snapfish.com/345949754%7Ffp336%3Enu%3D3248%3E9%3A9%3E937%3EWSNRCG%3D323342%3C4%3A%3A849nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/345949754%7Ffp335%3Enu%3D3248%3E9%3A9%3E937%3EWSNRCG%3D323342%3C4%3A%3A853nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/345949754%7Ffp338%3Enu%3D3248%3E9%3A9%3E937%3EWSNRCG%3D323342%3C4%3A%3A85%3Anu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/345949754%7Ffp337%3Enu%3D3248%3E9%3A9%3E937%3EWSNRCG%3D323342%3C4%3A%3A85%3Cnu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/345949754%7Ffp336%3Enu%3D3248%3E9%3A9%3E937%3EWSNRCG%3D323342%3C4%3A%3A874nu0mrj

[geoff_diamond]

More pics. These are from a couple of days ago.

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/1935/34001.jpg

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/1548/34002.jpg

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/8900/34003.jpg

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/6899/34004.jpg

[ChicagoLover]

So they're about 16 floor up on this puppy. Not bad.

[BVictor1]

I took these last Saturday.

View to the north from Grant Park - 2006-1-14
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/01/430266.jpg

View to the northeast from Randolph Street - 2006-1-14
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/01/430264.jpg

View to the northwest from Randolph Street - 2006-1-14
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/01/430530.jpg

View to the south across Lake Shore East Park - 2006-1-14
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/01/430533.jpg

[richardsonhomebuyers]

Here are some pictures I took a couple hours ago.


http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/1363/dscn00726jb.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/9348/dscn00743nu.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/140/dscn00764ba.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Adam186]

Nice shots! It's getting taller by the week. I can't wait till the facade gets higher and higher and then surpasses it's neighbors.

[danthediscoman]

Does anybody know the floor rate they are building at? Seems like its going pretty smooth...and fast.

[Patrick 340]

The word from the construction company is 2 floors per week.

[Chicagotom]

http://images.snapfish.com/346699%3A%3C8%7Ffp346%3Enu%3D3279%3E%3A85%3E266%3EWSNRCG%3D32336249757%3B4nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/346699%3A%3C8%7Ffp33%3A%3Enu%3D3279%3E%3A85%3E266%3EWSNRCG%3D3233624973548nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/346699%3A%3C8%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D3233%3E533%3E8%3C%3A%3E23245339%3B%3B473ot1lsi

http://images.snapfish.com/346699%3A%3C8%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D3279%3E%3A85%3E266%3EWSNRCG%3D32336249576%3A%3Anu0mrj

[chicagogeorge]

Wow, 340 fits right in so nicely!

[spyguy]

It's almost half-way up I believe.

[Chad]

Yes, indeed what a pitch perfect for the spot! :okay:

[BVictor1]

I'm looking out the window now, and they've been adding piece to the tower crane all morning. By the end of the month, this building should be about level with BCBS.

[The Urban Politician]

http://images.snapfish.com/346699%3A%3C8%7Ffp33%3A%3Enu%3D3279%3E%3A85%3E266%3EWSNRCG%3D3233624973548nu0mrj

^ That image right there just hits the spot

[Chi_Coruscant]

I am hoping BCBS building will be expanding vertically. It would be an embarrassment in standing short in the cluster of taller buildings. The idea of vertical expansion is still alive. I understand from someone with insider knowledge that if a prominent law firm hasn't chosen the LaSalle St site, the vertical expansion would happen. *sigh*

[geoff_diamond]

BCBS is a rock-solid tower. It will never be an embarassment even if they never add on to it.

[STR]

For those that haven't seen it, I lifted BCBS's roof to 600 or so.

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/4320/mc59oi.th.jpg (http://img110.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mc59oi.jpg) http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/2808/mc64wl.th.jpg (http://img151.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mc64wl.jpg)

[Hecago]

http://images.snapfish.com/346699%3A%3C8%7Ffp33%3A%3Enu%3D3279%3E%3A85%3E266%3EWSNRCG%3D3233624973548nu0mrj

^ That image right there just hits the spot

I agree, I'm very impressed with the facade. This is going to be one sexy tower.

[BVictor1]

A few images from the past couple of days.

View to the northwest from Randolph Street - 2006-4-5
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/04/449109.jpg

Adding a section to the tower crane - 2006-4-4
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/04/449097.jpg

Loading a new section to the tower crane - 2006-4-4
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/04/449100.jpg

[BVictor1]

well, the building is now pretty much even with bcbs. the core is roughly the same height as the mechanical penthouse.

[Chicagotom]

well, the building is now pretty much even with bcbs. the core is roughly the same height as the mechanical penthouse.
http://images1.snapfish.com/346993%3A35%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D3279%3E%3A85%3E266%3EWSNRCG%3D32336%3A8689548nu0mrj?SSImageQuality=Full

[Patrick 340]

LR has notified owners that the closings will begin approximately August of 2007, which is only slightly behind the original projections of mid-2007.

[Chi_Coruscant]

^Thanks for the update, Patrick. Completion on Aug 2007 is as good as mid-2007.

[Patrick 340]

June 16, 2006

47th Floor (15 to go)

http://www.340otp.com/linked/340_06_16_2006.jpg

[spyguy]

http://midwest.construction.com/features/archive/0607_feature5.asp

340 on the Park
Condo's Structural Design Could Help Cement Buyers
by Craig Barner

The downtown Chicago condominium market is among the hottest in the nation, with abundant choices for buyers.

Gail Lissner, vice president of Chicago-based Appraisal Research Counselors, said about 4,700 units are expected to be delivered in the Loop in 2006, up more than 50 percent from 2005's 3,100 units.

The structural design of the $250 million 340 on the Park condominium in Chicago's East Loop might help give the building sales advantages.

The building with curtain-wall cladding will have striking views. Overlooking Randolph Street, 340 on the Park is immediately north of Daley Bicentennial Plaza, northeast of the nationally famous Millennium Park and west of Lake Shore Drive. In addition to those, the 69-story high-rise will have vistas of Grant Park, Lake Michigan and the landmarked Michigan Avenue streetwall.

The building had reached the 39th level in early May. Top-out is expected in October, and the project should be finished the following October.

The concrete structure features post-tensioning, said Ola Johansson, project manager for Seattle-based Magnusson Klemencic Associates, the structural engineer.

A key benefit of post-tensioning is improved floor-to-ceiling height due to thinner but equally strong slabs over a conventional structure with "mild-steel" slabs - not a small consideration for a developer in the Loop's superhot condominium market. The floor-to-ceiling height in 340 is 9 ft. but would have been between 8 ft., 8 in. and 8 ft., 10 in. with a conventional system.

"It's something a potential buyer would compare with another building," Johansson added.

Moreover, the column-to-column span in 340 on the Park is 27 ft., Johansson said. If the building had been constructed with an 8-in.-thick mild steel slab, the column-to-column span would have ranged between 22 and 25 ft.

The wide span is mimicked in the building's first six levels where the parking is located, though those levels have mild steel slabs. The 10-in.-thick floor slab is strong enough to accommodate the wide span, whereas an 8-in.-thick floor slab in the tower has sufficient strength because of the post-tensioning.

As a result, the building's deeded 471 parking spaces are greater than would have otherwise been the case if post-tensioning had not been used above.

"So the additional parking stalls we were able to eke out with the post-tensioning system offset any construction premium to install the post-tensioning," said Ron
Klemencic, president of Magnusson Klemencic.

Klemencic, who is the immediate past chairman and still a board member of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, an international association of architects and engineers headquartered in Chicago, added that the building is possibly the world's tallest post-tensioned concrete building and definitely Chicago's tallest such structure.

"I believe this is going to be the tallest post-tensioned concrete building in North America," he said. "If there is a taller one, I don't know what it is."


Tensioning a Building

The post-tensioning process involves hydraulically tensioning each concrete floor slab.

Steel tendons that are anchored to posts and sheathed in green plastic are laid in the metal deck, and the concrete is poured, Brandt said. After the concrete has hardened, the cables are stressed hydraulically.

More than one cable band is involved per floor, and the number of tendons per floor ranges between 100 and 1,000.

A key issue is coordinating the layout of the cables and the lines for the electrical, plumbing and other utility systems. Sometimes, a conflict can arise between the two.

"The post-tensioning cabling has to go where it has to go to allow the building to act as it needs to for structural reasons," Brandt said. "At the same time, plumbing piping has to go where it has to go to service a bathroom or kitchen."

When a conflict arises, every party involved is assembled to find a solution, and conflicts between post-tensioning and utility lines arise "quite a bit," Brandt said. A cable could be swept in a new direction to accommodate a utility line or a utility line redirected.

Typically, the post-tensioning cable gets priority over utility lines "to allow the building to stand up at the end of the day," Brandt said. In some cases, however, the post-tensioning cables are moved and extra reinforcing steel is added in that area for stiffness. Cost-effectiveness and owner's requirements are considered in making the decision.

Buildings have been post-tensioned in Midwest before, but Klemencic said the process is more common on the West Coast and Southeast partly because of building tradition.

As a result, crews on the 340 project were a little apprehensive about the process because they wanted to maintain a three-day pour cycle per floor.

"In the beginning, they were talking about maybe four or even five days per floor, but they've been executing it three days per floor," Klemencic said. That means the project is ahead of schedule.

An Unused Site

The project is on a previously unused lot between the Blue Cross Blue Shield office on the west and The Buckingham condominium on the east.

Only a half-story is below grade in landfilled area, and the first six levels will hold the parking and face Lower Lower and Lower Randolph Street. The first condominium level is two floors above Upper Randolph Street - or the eighth level overall.

The 975,000-sq.-ft. building will hold 344 condominium units that range between about 1,000 and 5,000 sq. ft. in one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts, said Don Biernacki, senior vice president of Chicago-based LR Development Co., the developer. Customizable penthouse units start on level 57.

Neither the percentage of units sold nor unit costs was released.

About 4,000 sq. ft. of space on the seventh floor, which is flush with Upper Randolph Street, will hold retail. The building will feature an amenity floor on the 25th level, including a pool and fitness facility.

A "signature" building was sought, so a quality aesthetic design and finishes were needed, Biernacki said.

Rather than just only curtain wall, the exterior features variation with protruding and inset balconies and horizontal and vertical lines. Inside, bamboo - a sustainable material - is used for the typical unit flooring, and there will be high-end cabinets, faucets and other items.


Locating Lower, Lower Randolph

The maze of streets beneath Chicago's normal level can be confusing for those drives not used to navigating the city's lower depths.

An issue on the $250 million 340 on the Park condominium project was the access point on Lower Lower Randolph Street.

Materials are coming from points all over the country, and "the lower roads are difficult to explain to someone on how to get there," said Bert Brandt, senior project in Chicago with Bovis Lend Lease Inc., the general contractor.

MapQuest, the popular Internet site often used for navigation, would prove useless if trying to map a route to the lower depths of Randolph because it does not include the below normal grade streets.

"More than a couple times" a delivery was expected but went missing, and someone was dispatched to find the driver on the streets of downtown Chicago, Brandt said.

Other times, deliveries meant for other projects, such as those in the nearby Lakeshore East development, came into 340's lot, he added.

As a result, drivers are instructed to call the field office before making a delivery, and specific directions are given.

But the site below the city's normal grade proved an advantage when it came to constructing formwork.

The large amount of space on grade has allowed large flying forms, rather than stick-built forms, to be used on the project. A spillover benefit is that flying forms allow the teams to maintain their three-day pour cycle.

"In Chicago, you don't see flying forms often because you're in boxed-in sites," Brandt added.

Other issues arose on the project:

# Numerous obstructions were encountered on the project, including a "forest of wood pilings" probably used as retaining walls decades ago when Lake Michigan's shoreline was west of its present location, Brandt said. Old boat docks and haul roads were also discovered.

# Backhoes were used to demolish most obstructions. But some impediments, such as old retaining walls, were extracted with a chain.

# Because of the project's closeness to the lake, groundwater infiltrated the site. Water wells were drilled and pumped.

# About 75 percent of construction waste has been sorted because a goal to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. Also as part of certification, a percentage of materials has been obtained from within 500 mi. of the site.

[simulcra]

Numerous obstructions were encountered on the project, including a "forest of wood pilings" probably used as retaining walls decades ago when Lake Michigan's shoreline was west of its present location, Brandt said. Old boat docks and haul roads were also discovered.

It's always so surprising to see how much a city has built on top of itself. In a hundred years, will people dig down and unearth Lower Wacker? I'd say that our technological means of keeping the status quo in the city's structure will mean, no, but I think every culture in every time thinks that.

[BVictor1]

A few shots of 340 On the Park from yesterday 07/15/06

https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/07/473990.jpg

View down the emergency stairs from the 47th floor - 2006-7-15
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/07/473995.jpg

Standing on the 51st floor with the formwork of the 52nd floor above - 2006-7-15
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/07/473997.jpg

View down the eastern half of the northern facade - 2006-7-15
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/07/474005.jpg


View down the eastern half of the southern face - 2006-7-15
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/07/474013.jpg

[ChiLooper]

Anyone know when it's expected to be completed?

[spyguy]

It'll be TO soon (in months, perhaps weeks). Officially completed next summer I believe.

[geoff_diamond]

Just another random shot. Bitch is gettin' tall.

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/2806/dsc00004fy5.jpg

[ChiLooper]

Anyone know when it's expected to be completed?

Thanks :)

[BVictor1]

Thanks :)

should be topped out in october and first move ins are scheduled for may

[ChicagoSkyline]

Time for another nite shot update!:cheer:
By Srika @ Chicago Skyline Heaven (8-22) (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=9739946#post9739946)
http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/4854/dsc0061pj5.jpg

[ChicagoSkyline]

Another closer shot of 340 OTP by Srika:
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/3246/chicago202vh0.jpg

[Chi649]

Thanks Chicago Skyline. Those pictures kick ass.

I just noticed for the first time a couple of weeks ago that you can see 340 on inbound I-90 :righton:

[i_am_hydrogen]

Wow, that shot is something else.

[Chi_Coruscant]

That area could be real different with completed 340 OTP, vertically expanded BCBSIL building, along with Mandarin Oriental and Aqua at farther backdrop. Imagine how stunning the scene would look!

[ChicagoSkyline]

Thanks Chicago Skyline. Those pictures kick ass.

I just noticed for the first time a couple of weeks ago that you can see 340 on inbound I-90 :righton:

Yea, I am pretty sure that you can, say it ain't so!

Ok, hot off press by nygirl's chicago visit photo thread with 340 OTP in the background from Navy Pier(rare angle for most of updates here)!:)

Before, by spyguy:
http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/6990/2010563413eba6a0f02osb5.jpg
Recent, by nygirl:
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/1103/p1010365gw4.jpg
:cheers:

[ChicagoSkyline]

^^
That area could be real different with completed 340 OTP, vertically expanded BCBSIL building, along with Mandarin Oriental and Aqua at farther backdrop. Imagine how stunning the scene would look!

Yea, Rivernorth is getting jame pack density, just look at those cranes from the pic above, it is going to rival the Loop!

Can anyone tell me what those projects are?

[skyscraperman]

ive looked closely at the recent photos of this building and noticed how much taller it is than the the prudential bldg.the prudential is 601' to the very top of the roof just look closely at the photo of those two in the picture get a straight edge go from the top one to the other and youll see that 340 looks to be at least 100' taller already.

[ChicagoSkyline]

ive looked closely at the recent photos of this building and noticed how much taller it is than the the prudential bldg.the prudential is 601' to the very top of the roof just look closely at the photo of those two in the picture get a straight edge go from the top one to the other and youll see that 340 looks to be at least 100' taller already.

Yea, indeed!:runaway:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/89829735@N00/236348593/

Alright, since no one has update OTP340 for awhile, here is one for the hack of it! I drove by Chicago DT today and snap it with my phone, hope this is ok!
Looks like it is topped out or is there more floors to go? and ready for completing the rest of facades on the top floors!
:):cheers::cheer:
http://static.flickr.com/95/236348593_ff109459b9_o.jpg

[ChicagoSkyline]

Yea, indeed!:runaway:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/89829735@N00/236348593/

Alright, since no one has update OTP340 for awhile, here is one for the hack of it! I drove by Chicago DT today and snap it with my phone, hope this is ok!
Looks like it is topped out or is there more floors to go? and ready for completing the rest of facades on the top floors!
:):cheers::cheer:
http://static.flickr.com/95/236348593_ff109459b9_o.jpg

Well, looked back thru the render provided by spyguy and compare, I think that OTP 340 is very near topping out! When is the expected completion of OTP 340? :cheers:
http://img26.echo.cx/img26/3593/3405nb.png

[matt_sbs]

Has an awesome fascade

[geoff_diamond]

I'm pretty sure she's about done. I'm not about to sit here and count floors, but, I would guess that the core has just about TO'd at this point.

Also, to whomever referred to this area as River North earlier - this is actually Lakeshore East (or the "New East Side" or "East Loop"). River North is north of the River and west of Michigan Avenue.

[geoff_diamond]

Some more hot 340 action for all your pervs! These are about a week or so old.

http://static.flickr.com/80/238170189_3d782c46a2_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/88/238170145_c20d72d6e6_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/90/238170172_a664e36c18_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/82/238170128_ff1f7dee72_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/94/238170158_a1dceba8ef_o.jpg

[ChicagoSkyline]

^^
Thanks geoff!:cheers:

I went sailing on 9-9 afternoon so I snaped few more OTP 340 and Chicago skyline with my phone under overcast condition, hope you guys like them!:)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/89829735@N00/

http://static.flickr.com/97/238986152_159a39e5fe_o.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/96/238986156_5edfa9c915_o.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/89/238986157_e56d129141_o.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/94/238986160_b94701d80d_o.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/88/238986162_55b755b4a3_o.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/91/238986164_491578fd9d_o.jpg

[danthediscoman]

The tower crane's coming down.

[Chi649]

I'm really liking the horizontal lines on this building. They are very distinctive, even at a distance.

[BVictor1]

After a small fire on 11/2
http://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/11/498635.jpg

Impact on skyline from North ave 11/1
http://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/11/499623.jpg

[i_am_hydrogen]

^Can't see those shots.

[danthediscoman]

^^^I see 'em, your computer has issues:)

[Chicagotom]

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l221/Mansmith_2006/DSCN2547.jpg

[geoff_diamond]

Comming
Coming. Sorry... this word is my biggest pet peeve ever!

[SkylineHeaven]

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l221/Mansmith_2006/DSCN2547.jpg

COOL, thanks for the update!:cheers:

[wickedestcity]

Coming. Sorry... this word is my biggest pet peeve ever!
yeh , thats what she said to ...........lol:lol:

[Chicagotom]

^^ Damn, getin pimped on word choice. Ok - tower crane being dismantled.

[geoff_diamond]

lol

[The Urban Politician]

^^ Damn, getin pimped on word choice. Ok - tower crane being dismantled.

^ Actually, you were getting pimped for spelling, not word choice.

See, so now you have gotten pimped for not knowing what you were pimped about ;)

[geoff_diamond]

double lol :)

I didn't have the heart to point that out Tupper.

[Chi649]

From today

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/8173/dsc06075ue3.jpg

[SkylineHeaven]

^^
Wow, almost completo!:banana:

[SkylineHeaven]

http://static.flickr.com/100/302364766_727fbf3b53_o.jpg

[geoff_diamond]

From tonight. Topped out and sans-crane.

http://static.flickr.com/99/306280183_8e72fc6148_o.jpg

[SkylineHeaven]

http://static.flickr.com/121/308063277_fe94a1c206_b.jpg

[SkylineHeaven]

http://static.flickr.com/102/306751405_752827e871_b.jpg

[SkylineHeaven]

OTP 340 @ nite
http://static.flickr.com/105/303277128_09d62f1256_b.jpg

[SkylineHeaven]

http://static.flickr.com/120/309135969_dbb0c67230_b.jpg

[SkylineHeaven]

http://static.flickr.com/110/308900636_724416fc1a_b.jpg

[SkylineHeaven]

http://static.flickr.com/115/308873747_c0f77dba6b_b.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/108/308873877_9b29663bb1_b.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/120/308873967_4fc506b601_b.jpg

[SkylineHeaven]

http://static.flickr.com/111/310815761_f4d0f75647_b.jpg

[Chicago_Skyline]

Some more updates for one of my favorite almost complete tower!
http://static.flickr.com/100/302364766_727fbf3b53_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/121/308063277_fe94a1c206_b.jpg

OTP 340 @ nite:drool:
http://static.flickr.com/105/303277128_09d62f1256_b.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/120/309135969_dbb0c67230_b.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/111/310815761_f4d0f75647_b.jpg

[Chicago_Skyline]

and some aerial perspectives of OTP 340!:)
http://static.flickr.com/115/308873747_c0f77dba6b_b.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/108/308873877_9b29663bb1_b.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/120/308873967_4fc506b601_b.jpg

[trvlr70]

Thank you, Chicago Skyline. I love the pics. In the ariels, it is interesting to see which buildings stand out and which ones do not.

[Chicago_Skyline]

Thank you, Chicago Skyline. I love the pics. In the ariels, it is interesting to see which buildings stand out and which ones do not.

a big YW!:)

Few more OTP 340 with lakefront Chicago skyline!
http://static.flickr.com/119/296416819_09415816ed_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/113/293038008_96b23f2bd4_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/116/296211188_e648a7e35e_b.jpg

[ChicagoBears2007]

deleted.

[aleph_null]

from today:

http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/4585/dscn1359im6.jpg

i was there only for few minutes, so i only took this one photo.

[trvlr70]

from today:

http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/4585/dscn1359im6.jpg

i was there only for few minutes, so i only took this one photo.

Stunning!!!

[danthediscoman]

Thought this was most relevant to post here since the press release prominently featured 340. Martin Wolf's drawings will be on display at I space begining JAN 26 (230 W Superior) Pretty cool to see the likes of 340 in a very roughly sketched state.

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/8917/340bf5.jpg

[Flubnut]

North face of 340, with BCBS.

http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/2782/340randolph001011706in8.jpg

[Chi649]

From 3-4

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/2383/dsc07186resizedoj3.jpg

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/5163/dsc07187resizedpg3.jpg

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/8600/dsc07188resizeddj2.jpg

[headcase]

From 3-4

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/2383/dsc07186resizedoj3.jpg


I think I'm going to really enjoy the stepped effect when BCBS tops out.

SSDD

[danthediscoman]

Today:

http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/7012/340ontheparkiiivy7.jpg

http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/7051/340glassvl6.jpg

[Chitowner245]

Why have the top windows not been installed yet? It's been like that for at least two months now.

[geoff_diamond]

Taken today. The sweet back-side of 340.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/126/414942315_3eba70b047_o.jpg

[danthediscoman]

Were all crazy paparazzi on 340 today.

[Frumie]

Thanks Geoff and DanDisco. I love it when the threads sport so many fine pics; it really makes my day. :)

[BorisMolotov]

Why have the top windows not been installed yet? It's been like that for at least two months now.

They've slowly but surely been finishing the windows on the back side but still... 5 more floors left...

Also, I love the occasional boarded up window. I've always wondered about those, are they like short-term replacements for ones that workers accidentally broke or something?

[trvlr70]

This building is straight up gorgeous....what an excellent addition to the skyline. It is expecially impressive from below looking upwards. WOW!

[geoff_diamond]

Also, I love the occasional boarded up window. I've always wondered about those, are they like short-term replacements for ones that workers accidentally broke or something?
Broken or didn't fit (for whatever reason).

Yeah, 340 is so goddamn sexy. One of (if not the) the hottest towers that's gone up here in decades.

[BVictor1]

:applause: Hear, hear! Though these seem
to be pretty nicely designed, your average Bucktown side street has
more verve and snap. It seems unfair to Ernie Wong's beautiful
contemporary park design to line it with pretend Edwardian townhouses.


That's how I fell about 95% of the townhomes in the Prairie distruct
area. The only good ones over there is the stretch on the east side
of Prairie betwnn 18th Street and Cullerton. The rest are shit.

[Chi649]

From 3-11

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/4561/dsc07317dx3.jpg

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/6356/dsc07318cz3.jpg

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/7071/dsc07319yv5.jpg

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/7048/dsc07320up8.jpg

http://img457.imageshack.us/img457/4389/dsc07357cx1.jpg

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/7829/dsc07363sw4.jpg

[geoff_diamond]

From tonight:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/170/460863213_006388223f_o.jpg

[BorisMolotov]

Jeez, just finish it already!!! What time this year were they planning on finishing it?

[pgold21]

I really don't think they care about sealing the top. Check out these pics from today. Top floors still open.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/209/463542412_3ccb7d1b06_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/185/463542434_b99b390da4_b.jpg

[geoff_diamond]

But thank god we've got window-washing harnesses in place to wash all those missing windows!!!

[Flubnut]

They've finally started to finish the glass on this puppy. Working on the 2nd to last floor today.

[ardecila]

Yeah, they're finally making (very slow) progress. If you look closely, you can see that a bit of paneling has been added above the top story of glass. Also, about 30-35 more balconies have been finished.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/214/492850871_f71f6a6a92_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/189/492831948_1227647cdd_b.jpg

[Chitowner245]

... I still can't believe how long the top of this building has taken to complete- it's been unfinished just like that for months now, probably since January or early february.

[Flubnut]

I actually didn't notice that the top 4 stories have balconies across the entire south face. I'm guessing the wind gusts up there play havoc with alfresco dinners though, assuming they're as bad or worse as what happens at street level.

[Sir Isaac Newton]

Is it possible that maybe they have primarily been working on the interior, and completing the individual condos themselves, over the past few months? I can't imagine that completing hundreds of condos would be something that would just take a few weeks or so....

[pgold21]

Maybe now that it's hot it's better to leave it open and use the breeze to cool the workers?

[trvlr70]

This tower is sexy. It looks best and most sleek when viewed from its sides.

[Chi649]

Now that it's almost finished, I wonder what type of light decoration it will have. I could only guess the white horizontal lines will be illuminated, or maybe not. Hmmm.. I'm looking forward to see what it will be. Does anyone know what the actually sceme will be?

[Flubnut]

Now that it's almost finished, I wonder what type of light decoration it will have. I could only guess the white horizontal lines will be illuminated, or maybe not. Hmmm.. I'm looking forward to see what it will be. Does anyone know what the actually sceme will be?

When I first walked by, there seemed to be nothing besides white metal and glass. On closer inspection, I see small holes with conduit, every 2 stories, on the white steel facing south. I'm guessing those will eventually be small uplights, probably the same time they take the film off all the metal.

[Chi649]

5-13-07

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/5849/dsc07799he1.jpg

[wrabbit]

.....probably the same time they take the film off all the metal.
Is this for sure, that the white of the horizontal banding is just a film cover, with metal underneath? I had hoped for metallic but assumed they'd just gone w/white.

[bobablob]

340 isn't the most spectactular bit of work I've ever seen, but from Grant Park it looks perfect along the northern skyline. Perfect fit for the spot, perfect neighbor to BC/BS.

[Flubnut]

Is this for sure, that the white of the horizontal banding is just a film cover, with metal underneath? I had hoped for metallic but assumed they'd just gone w/white.

The metal underneath is actually white. Sorry for the confusion.

[i_am_hydrogen]

Taken today:
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/8117/340otp1ht5.jpg

http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/6699/340otp2nz1.jpg

http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/5889/340otp3wc4.jpg

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/6500/340otpslantedcb4.jpg

[BorisMolotov]

Are they going to build every building one those podium/platforms?

[wickedestcity]

is that the roof of the blue cross blue shield building being deconstructed ?

[geoff_diamond]

Are they going to build every building one those podium/platforms?
huh?

is that the roof of the blue cross blue shield building being deconstructed ?
I don't see any signs of work going on?

[Chiman]

Love the dark blue and the contrast with the white, but I'm not loving the balconies.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/216/522403117_4ff30592b6.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/219/522403069_a7b3735ac3.jpg

[danthediscoman]

^Are you kiddin'?! The balconies are the best part. I think it would be rather boring without the balconies defining the curtainwall like they do.

[Helmet Yawn]

this building is soulless.

[Frumie]

this building is soulless.

Helmut (Yawn)

[NittanyBLUE2002]

Hey, Helmet: I'm curious to hear your Top 5 talls in the world as well as your 3 favorite present-day projects.

[Helmet Yawn]

Hello NittanyBLUE2002. Nice talking to you.

I honestly don't know the top 5 in the world. I like what I've been seeing from Richard Meier in his Philadelphia tower design. Norman Foster has a remarkable residential tower design for Vancouver tht just went on sale. Calatrava's New York "Townhouses in the Sky" is remarkable nd much better than the compromised Spire he's proposing for Chicago. Contemporaine may be the best High Rise in Chicago in the last 50 years.

For me it isn't about height and muscularity. It's about refinement and quality of the overall design.

[PrintersRowChemist]

I like what I've been seeing from Richard Meier in his Philadelphia tower design. Norman Foster has a remarkable residential tower design for Vancouver tht just went on sale. Calatrava's New York "Townhouses in the Sky" is remarkable nd much better than the compromised Spire he's proposing for Chicago. Contemporaine may be the best High Rise in Chicago in the last 50 years.

For me it isn't about height and muscularity. It's about refinement and quality of the overall design.

Would you mind posting some pics of or links to these refined and well-designed structures, Lord Helmet? Thx.

[Helmet Yawn]

http://www.gizmag.com/go/3766/

http://www.jamesonfoster.com/

http://www.mandevilleplace.com/


hope these help. have a great day!

[PrintersRowChemist]

Thanks for posting. I really like the one in Vancouver.

the Calatrava is great, too, but the concept of "townhouses in the sky" is DOA for me. Who likes townhomes? People who can't afford Starimasters? It's like living in a treehouse.

You couldn't pay me enough to live in Philly.

[Frumie]

http://www.gizmag.com/go/3766/

http://www.jamesonfoster.com/

http://www.mandevilleplace.com/

Thanks for sharing. Personally, I see today's "starchitects" straining to stand out from the crowd by way of flamboyance. Such noncontextual structures can quickly lose their initial sensual impact only to appear quirky after much exposure--like a sustained smile that devolves into a grimace. What's wanting today is a school of architecture that would contextually express the spirit of a city and done with a "classic" timeless taste. Despite that shortcoming, I see Chicago's architecture as contextually restrained and so evermore definitive of this city's evolving urbanity. An architectural gestalt, if you will, such as defined in the Florence or Napoleonic Paris of earlier centuries.

[Helmet Yawn]

I think you're right. The problem is that historically, Chicago architects have been contextual - or as I like to call it, played it safe- in their own city!

Where would Chicago be without Le Baron Jenney, Mies, Khan, Gehry, KPF, Koolhaas, or Jahn to name a few?

[spyguy]

http://www.gizmag.com/go/3766/

http://www.jamesonfoster.com/

http://www.mandevilleplace.com/

They are all very nice designs. However, it is worth noting their status, especially the first and the last. The first likely is dead since there has been zero interest in anyone buying a unit. And I have heard very little regarding Mandeville, so that too might not happen.

[i_am_hydrogen]

The first likely is dead since there has been zero interest in anyone buying a unit.

Such a shame, too. 80 South Street is one my favorite proposals out there.

[wrabbit]

Such a shame, too. 80 South Street is one my favorite proposals out there.

It is a cool design - but the monthly assessments would have to be just outrageous to maintain it, with so few units.

[Frumie]

I think you're right. The problem is that historically, Chicago architects have been contextual - or as I like to call it, played it safe- in their own city!

Where would Chicago be without Le Baron Jenney, Mies, Khan, Gehry, KPF, Koolhaas, or Jahn to name a few?
Except for Mies, Chicago's architectural legacy derives in large part from its great architectural firms who have shown an fine understanding of our city's building tradition, not the occasional flamboyant "starchitect" like Gehry and Koolhaas. Pederson and Stone both studied Chicago's legacy and were delighted to be a part of it. Their buildings celebrate that tradition. Those cities whose architecture is thoughtfully contextual have the striking advantage of the added glory of gestalt.

[ChivDevil]

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1070/538114112_1ec8b3ad19_b.jpg

[nomarandlee]

http://www.suntimes.com/classifieds/homes/homelife/447942,HOF-News-debris29.article

Sky-scrapping
CHICAGO CONSTRUCTION | High-rise builders finding that debris recycling can pay off

June 29, 2007
BY CRAIG BARNER Special to the Sun-Times

Quantities get pretty lofty in Bert Brandt's job.

Brandt, a senior project manager in Chicago for London-based commercial contractor Bovis Lend Lease Inc., is overseeing construction of the 340 on the Park condominium on Randolph Street. The 69-story high-rise north of Millennium Park will house 344 units and cost about $250 million to build. It will have taken almost three years to complete in December when work is expected to be done.

Another figure is prominent on the 340 project: Slightly more than 80 percent of the waste produced since the start of construction has been diverted from landfills for recycling.

"Initially, we were trying to get to 50 percent," Brandt said. "But we worked with [hauler and sorter] National Waste Services Inc. to come up with our recycling plan for the project, and we determined quickly that we were going to surpass the 50 percent milestone rather easily."
Through mid-April, 82 percent of the 3,509 tons of waste produced in the construction was diverted for recycling -- or about 2,870 tons. This includes concrete, metal, drywall, crates, pallets and corrugated boxes.

"Say you have 10 feet of a two-by-four, but only need 8 feet," he said. "Those 2 feet you don't need would have gotten thrown away in the past."


..........Recycling law and economics

But increasingly, construction professionals in Chicago are monitoring waste produced as part of the building process in part because of ordinances in the ever-more-green Windy City.
A law approved by the City Council in March 2006 required contractors seeking building permits to recycle 25 percent of construction and demolition (C&D) debris, said Sadhu Johnston, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Environment. In 2007 that figure went to 50 percent. The law reflects concerns about the environment and seeks to divert construction debris from landfills.

During the past year and a half, about 875 employees from the building trades have attended training sessions to learn about requirements, sorting and the recycling ethos.

Audits show the ordinance is getting through, Johnston said.

"Right now, from the reports we've gotten, we're at an extremely high recycling rate," he said. "The percentage we're getting reported back is over 90 percent."

For instance, 40 projects were completed in the city in April, producing 59,000 tons of construction debris. Of that, Johnston said about 57,000 tons were recycled -- or 97 percent.

The stunning results probably are explained by the fact that developers who recycle avoid tipping fees at landfills and also enjoy rising prices for recyclable scrap paid by processors.

Ken Dunn, a recycling activist since the late 1960s and director of the Resource Center, a nonprofit processor on the South Side, said prices for recyclable commodities "are near their all-time high with the exception of glass."

Steel scrap is selling for $220 a ton, said Robert Lenzini, owner of MBL Recycling, a processor of mixed construction debris in northwest suburban Palatine. In 2005, when he started the business, mills paid $140 a ton for steel.

"Your metals are your load that carries you," he added.

Another factor driving demand is the worldwide vigor in commercial construction, which has not mirrored the foundering market for single-family-home construction.


Greening the Windy City
Beyond the favorable economics, a number of other factors are driving C&D recycling in Chicago.
Perhaps foremost is Mayor Daley's positioning of Chicago as a leader in sustainability. His response is, in part, to voters who are concerned about the environment.

"We know that by keeping material out of landfills we will slow the filling of landfills," Johnston said. "We know we'll have somewhere to take materials in the years to come."

Solid waste from the East Coast -- which lacks landfill space -- is shipped to the Midwest, said William Turley, executive director of the Construction Materials Recycling Association, a national organization headquartered in west suburban Eola. Tipping fees on the East Coast range between $50 and $90 a ton, but in the Midwest they are only $30 to $40 a ton.

There's the added benefit that reducing construction debris will help lessen any future strain on landfill space and keep down costs for taxpayers.

Nationwide, the volume of construction debris exceeds that of municipal solid waste, Turley said. Construction debris is estimated at 350 tons a year versus 230 tons annually for municipal solid waste. Industrial waste is the other major component.

"A large part of the housing stock is concrete, metals and stuff like that, which are easily recyclable," he added.

In Chicago, the amount of construction debris produced is about 35 percent to 40 percent of total waste generated, Johnston said.

Consumers are increasingly environmentally conscious in their choices for transportation, household products and living space. Businesses are wising up to the trend and grabbing their share.

340 on the Park, for instance, is expected to receive a silver rating from LEED, the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System. 340 is meeting benchmarks on environmentally sustainable design and construction, Bovis' Brandt said. Most of the condo buyers are highly educated urban professionals.

"We do a lot of LEED documentation for people," MBL's Lenzini said. "More people are asking for that."

Markets are emerging in Chicago for closing the recycling loop via recycled products.

Just this spring Chicago-based Baum Development LLC announced the redevelopment of the former Frederick Cooper Lamp Co., a prominent building on Diversey Avenue seen daily by thousands of motorists on the Kennedy Expy. Plans call for it to house the Green Exchange, a showroom for eco-friendly products and services.

And, the commercial market is joining the recycling party. The CMRA's Turley applauds Chicago for buying recycled aggregate as a base product in road construction.

"The material can be made as well as -- if not better than -- natural aggregate in terms of engineering characteristics," he added. "The natural aggregate guys hate it when I say that, but it's true."

You don't need to convince some construction professionals, like Brandt, about the opportunities brought by recycling.

"Anything, generally, that could come to a construction site in some shape or fashion can leave a construction site for recycling," he said.

Craig Barner is a Chicago-based journalist, editor and writer.


ABCs of construction and demolition recycling
How does debris from construction and demolition sites in Chicago get recycled?
First, C&D debris is collected on the construction site, says Bert Brandt, senior project manager in Chicago for London-based commercial contractor Bovis Lend Lease Inc. Brandt is overseeing the construction of the 69-story 340 on the Park condominium project in the East Loop.

Tons of C&D are produced every day on the project, such as concrete, metal and drywall. Material is brought down mixed from the upper floors by crane and bucket, hoist or interior elevators.

"To the extent we can onsite, we'll sort it and try to classify it in bins," he says. Pick-up occurs daily, and the material is brought to a sorting center.

Ken Dunn, a recycling activist since the late 1960s and director of the Resource Center, a nonprofit processor on the South Side, is a proponent of sorting the debris on construction sites. Not all debris brought mixed in containers to a processing center could get sorted.

"They just dump in on a tipping floor and grab what they can," Dunn says. "You can pick some things off the top. Several things that should be recycled are under things you can't recycle."

Others counter that a lack of room on building sites precludes the placement of multiple containers. In addition, they say, trade workers are paid to construct buildings, not sort debris.

MBL Recycling, a 28,000-square-foot processor in northwest suburban Palatine, started in 2005 to sort mixed debris, says owner Robert Lenzini. The plant, which draws from communities within 15 miles, employs 18 workers for sorting and averages 400 tons a day.

After being dumped on the floor, debris is picked up by a backhoe, dropped and elevated by a conveyor and transferred to picking lines for separation.

"We have had several start-ups in the past few years of businesses that are able to take mixed debris," says William Turley, executive director of the Construction Materials Recycling Association, a national organization headquartered in west suburban Eola. "They're able to demolish a whole building, throw it in a roll-off and bring it somewhere to sort out and make a product out of it."

After being sorted, materials are sold to industry and reprocessed for another life.

[ardecila]

This is great! Recycled wood is used for particle board, plywood, composite materials, and it is even cobbled together into new, smaller lumber stock using a dovetail join and a special epoxy adhesive that produces a stronger bond than that within the wood itself.

Recycled metal, obviously, is sold as scrap, melted, processed, and re-poured or rolled into new products.

Hell, if we can recycle 97% x 40% of Chicago's waste, then that means that Chicago is reducing its total waste by 38.8%, which is a HUGE number. I welcome further developments in the progress of Chicago towards being the world's most sustainable city.

[Chi649]

Allright, let's finish this sucker already. I want to see it come to life with some light. I'm really looking forward to seeing what type night presence it will have.

[i_am_hydrogen]

Taken today:

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/8697/340otp1gv0.jpg

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/1585/340otp3jt8.jpg

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/3433/340otp4gb8.jpg

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/7669/340otp6qu4.jpg

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/8591/340otp7zt4.jpg

http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/7307/340otpvertcr3.jpg

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/5389/340otpbasqs3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/4396/340otp8gi3.jpg

[cbotnyse]

excellent photos, hyrogen. best I've seen of 340. :okay:

[i_am_hydrogen]

One more from today:
https://community.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2007/07/548069.jpg

[Chi649]

excellent photos, hyrogen. best I've seen of 340. :okay:I second that. I thoroughly enjoyed them.

[BVictor1]

A few shots of 340 On the Park, but from the inside.

https://community.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2007/07/548191.jpg

https://community.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2007/07/548192.jpg

https://community.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2007/07/548193.jpg

https://community.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2007/07/548194.jpg

https://community.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2007/07/548195.jpg

[BVictor1]

ARCHITECTURE
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/reviews/critics/chi-0722_towerjul22,1,2859798.story

340 on the Park a welcome breath of fresh design

By Blair Kamin | Tribune architecture critic
July 22, 2007

If you think the twisting, soon-to-be-under-construction Chicago Spire is the only skyscraper that wants to shake up Chicago's skyline, then think again. One of the best of the rest, a freshly completed, 64-story condominium tower called 340 on the Park, is Chicago's first green residential high-rise and, for now at least, its tallest all-residential building. But those superlatives would be meaningless if this tower, which was ceremonially "unveiled" Wednesday, did not make such a robust contribution to the skyline.

As its name suggests, 340 on the Park rises from a site at 340 E. Randolph Drive, just east of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois building and just north of Grant Park. It is, to date, the most visible part of the 28-acre Lakeshore East complex, where developers Jim Loewenberg and Joel Carlins may erect as many as 16 major buildings with about 5,000 residential units on what once was a nine-hole golf course. And for its architect, Martin Wolf of the Chicago firm of Solomon Cordwell Buenz, it is his most prominent commission -- a 672-foot-tall, 343-unit tower that is plainly visible to sailors on Lake Michigan, to motorists on Lake Shore Drive and to parkgoers in Grant Park.

Rises to the occasion

This is a grand stage, where an architect can either rise to the occasion or flop. Wolf, a skilled pro who left Helmut Jahn's shop 10 years ago after contributing to such masterpieces as the United Airlines Terminal at O'Hare International Airport, has done the former, designing not just an arresting form, but one that does much to uplift the city around it. His principal client on the project was Chicago-based Related Midwest, which developed the property in association with Loewenberg and Carlins.

It would be an overstatement to call this tower revolutionary, but it does make some intriguing departures from familiar archetypes for high-rise living. Take Lake Point Tower, that black, Y-shaped, suavely curving object next to Navy Pier. Its sleek glass skin looks impenetrable. You get the feeling that nobody in there ever opens up a window. In contrast, Wolf has cracked open a big part of 340's exterior. On the 25th floor, there's a two-story winter garden that comes with 14-foot-tall swinging glass doors. They let in fresh air and had to be specially engineered so Chicago's ferocious winds would not tear them apart.

The doors give onto a wide balcony with a knock-your-eyes-out view of Frank Gehry's snaking BP Bridge, the trellis of his Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, Sears Tower, the skyline, you name it. On the same floor are a two-lane, 25-yard lap pool and a whirlpool with views out onto Grant Park. The tower's residents -- people in just a handful of units had moved in as of last Monday -- will thus be able to indulge themselves and feel virtuous because they live in a green building. This may make 340 the Lexus hybrid of architecture.

More important for the rest of us, Wolf has sensitively inserted this tower into the city, taking a page from the book of the great riverfront office building at 333 W. Wacker Drive and giving 340 slightly different looks, each appropriate for its context.

Toward the south, facing Grant Park, the tower is respectfully rectilinear, joining with its neighbors on Randolph to line the formal, Beaux-Arts park with a dramatic, clifflike wall. Toward the north, facing the more relaxed geometry of Lakeshore East's contemporary park, 340 breaks free with a gently curving wall. Toward the east, a sharp-edged prow of glass joins these seemingly disparate parts, making an appropriate nautical nod to the lake.

The most distinctive aspect of Wolf's design, however, is a classic case of necessity being the mother of invention. His clients wanted the vast majority of the units to have balconies. That made Wolf nervous because balconies often force architects to design banal stacks of outdoor terraces, their monotonous repetition made even more ugly by railings that look like old-fashioned jail-cell doors.

Two-layered exterior

To escape this trap, Wolf conceived a two-layered exterior that consists of an "inner building" clad in insulating, blue-green glass and an outer shell of aluminum panels painted white. Every five stories, horizontal bands of the aluminum streak across the facade, lending 340 a muscular urban scale that allows it to stand up to its neighbors, the much-taller Aon Center and the much-wider Blue Cross Blue Shield building.

Some Chicago architects have privately complained to me about this device, which Solomon Cordwell Buenz uses incessantly, saying that it is not "honest" because the horizontal bands, or spandrels, express one floor of the building's exterior and then skip the next four. "The skipped spandrel syndrome," they call it.

"If that's honesty, no thanks," Wolf replied when I passed on this complaint. "I'd rather be deceitful and artful."

But this isn't deceit. It's relaxed rationalism, a loosening up of the rigid strictures of the Second Chicago School of Architecture dominated by the structurally expressive steel and glass boxes of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. And it is, for the most part, artful, even if it divorces skin from structures.

On the handsomely composed facade facing Grant Park, for example, Wolf skillfully mixes horizontals and verticals, elements that project and those that recess. Counteracting the horizontal bands, his projecting balconies sweep up the facade like giant vertebrae. The overall effect is richly layered, carefully modulated and as human-scaled as a 64-story tower can reasonably expect to be. The tower suggests a series of neighborhoods stacked in the air. The facade is so varied that it almost seems personalized. You could easily point in the direction of a unit and say, "That's where I live."

The asymmetrically composed facade along Lakeshore East's park, which features serrated balconies carved into its glass surface, doesn't come off as well. It's more monolithic, even a bit menacing with its stacked balconies suggesting a monster's teeth. But Wolf somehow tames it, wrapping a wafer-thin layer of white aluminum around the glass like a sailboat's jib. I've witnessed this effect from the lake, where you can glimpse the narrow open space between the prow and this "jib," and it's striking. Again tweaking convention, the most distinctive feature of the skyscraper isn't on the top, but on the side.

Skyscrapers aren't just sculptures meant to be ogled from afar, of course. They're supposed to be good neighbors and 340 does well here, too.

At ground level, Wolf breaks down the tower's scale with projecting canopies and tries to enliven the concrete desert of Randolph Drive with sidewalk planters that will brim with trees and greenery. There's going to be a Starbucks in the building's western corner, which will add life to the street even if it won't be unique. Someday, the developers promise, pedestrians will be able to walk along the west side of 340 and descend to Lakeshore East's sunken park via indoor stairs, escalators and elevators that are supposed to go into a still-to-be-built supermarket along the park.

For now, we can be happy that all six levels of parking for this building are stuffed below Randolph Drive, the top layer of a triple-deck street system that traffic engineers once devised based on the hard-headed belief that cities are machines for moving cars and trucks. In a way, they've turned out to be right. So 340's condo units start on the second floor and not on the seventh or eighth floor sitting atop one of those hideous parking garage podiums like the ones in Loewenberg and Carlins' buildings in River North.

Wolf's handling of 340's interior also merits praise, starting with a lobby that forgoes the pretentious custom of outfitting a modern building with paneled, dark wood walls that scream "Ye Olde Men's Club." He wisely opts instead for a contemporary aesthetic that features a warm elm canopy sweeping over the front desk. The units themselves are well planned, wisely emphasizing views with details such as pass-through kitchens and (in most cases) floor to ceiling glass.

But the piece de resistance is the 25th floor, which adds a fresh dimension to high-rise living -- a town square/social center that prevents the skyscraper from being a series of stacked, anonymous floors, all separate from each other. Here, one can exercise or socialize, and do it in style. Wolf has designed the winter garden and its adjoining rooms not as chopped-up cubbyholes, but as a suite, with a common 20-foot ceiling. His balcony doesn't just replicate the amenity floors plopped atop a typical condo building but thrusts out into space. "It's a big eyeball out onto the world," Wolf says, which is half right.

As easy as it is to imagine people looking out from this viewing platform, it's just as easy to imagine people in Millennium Park looking up at the people looking down at them. It's not quite Romeo and Juliet but it's better than the impenetrable residential towers of the past -- expressing, not concealing, the vitality of this vertical village and subtly layering green elements into the design rather than awkwardly trumpeting them with such bells and whistles as rooftop solar panels.

This skyscraper represents a bold-conceived, well-executed way to go green. May we have more like it.

- - -

City's first green residential tower

340 on the Park is Chicago's first green residential tower, a long overdue achievement for the city, which Mayor Richard Daley wants to make the greenest in America.

The first green residential tower in the U.S., the Solaire, located in New York City's Battery Park City, opened four years ago.

340 on the Park is expected to achieve a silver rating in the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, which serves as a sort of Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval for environmentally friendly design. Silver is the third highest LEED rating after platinum and gold.

Among the building's green features: tinted, insulated exterior glass that controls the amount of heat gain and heat loss; extensive plaza-level plantings and a landscaped second-floor roof that will absorb stormwater; and a water storage tank with a capacity of 11,000 gallons. The tank holds rainwater and allows it to be reused for irrigating the building's landscaping.

bkamin@tribune.com

[Chicagotom]

Bvic

I am surpised that you didn't post a pic looking south from 340 OTP.

[Chi649]

Looking great from Solidarity Dr, 7-21-07

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/8623/dsc08360tz5.jpg

[Retrograde]

Looking great from Solidarity Dr, 7-21-07
^^ It certainly is. Nice shot, Chi649! :cheers:

[Chi649]

^^ thanks a lot Retrograde :)

[SGMD1]

Such a sexy building...too bad it's out of my price range :/

I don't know what 2 bedroom units were going for when sales in 340 began but as of this weekend, there are four remaining 2 bedroom units with an average price of $1.3 million

...I bet when these units first went on sale they probably cost half that. Oh well