I've been wondering that since the first renders. I assumed it was because they needed a double-height mechanical floor, and were too lazy/cheap to figure out how to add balconies to the space.

Form follows function. Mechanical floors don't need balconies.

Personally, I like the resulting visual break to the otherwise "organic" flow of the balconies. It's kind of like an architectural "wink" to remind you it's really just a box.

Agreed. It would have been pretty dishonest to adorn the mech. floors with balconies.

Note the reflective glass used on units that do not have balconies. They claim that they did this to make the units without shade-providing balcony overhang more livable. I don't think it looks good. Was there a reason (other than cost) that they didn't just use the reflective glass on the whole building?


http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/3010/p1030855.jpg

I totally agree. I see this elevation every moring on the bus and it is not pretty. It was a design oversight and diminishes the building from all angles.

I always thought they used 2 different glass types to accentuate the undulations created by the balconies. From a distance, the balconies lose their effect, so they use the glass to try and make up for it. I think it works on a technical level, but can certainly imagine it to be aesthetically questionable for many.

that's the difference between a one-liner and real Architecture.

that's the difference between a one-liner and real Architecture.

what is?

i personally like the dual-glass, but i haven't seen it in person.

3 May

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3346/3514092211_02a3299645_b.jpg

Taken today:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3368/3512024922_be8375248b_o.jpg

I've been a fan of this site for some time now and finally decided it was time for my first post! I'm moving in to Aqua in June and took pictures last week of one of the rental units. I'll post them this weekend (just as soon as I figure out how). The building is almost ready for occupancy - the leasing agent told me the first people will be moving in on May 15th. When I was there last week, the lobby was done (but unfurnished) and the lower rental floors (at least 19 through 25) were complete. They are still working on the outside deck - she told me it would be ready in late-June.

More to come!

5/8

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3361/3516534028_9272032e8b_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3344/3515725751_db66ba5ff9_b.jpg

Aqua apartment interior:

Kitchen
http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/3739/kitchen.jpg

Bedroom
http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/7956/bedroom.jpg

Living room
http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/5752/livingroomn.jpg

Bathroom
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/6616/bathrooma.jpg

View from balcony
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/4281/balcony.jpg

none of your images are showing up for me :(

You're kidding me. They put carpet in this place?!

DCRinCHI,

Congrats on the new apartment, and thanks for the pictures!

geoff, I'm guessing the level of finishes are different for the apartments. And maybe the carpets are for noise control on the rented units.

Not quite what I expected after all the Aqua hype, but the view's still nice and the balcony rails don't hide too much.

5/20

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3397/3555054907_a6b47eea03_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3353/3555006615_173e72ecd4_b.jpg

5/23

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3588/3558442684_bcd2061e0c_b.jpg

Aqua lands a hotel

By: Thomas A. Corfman May 25, 2009
The Aqua skyscraper has snared a hotel operator, rebounding from the collapse of a high-priced deal despite the worst Chicago hotel market since the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Kimpton Group Holding LLC, a San Francisco boutique hotel firm, is in negotiations to buy 15 floors in the wavy, 82-story tower two blocks north of Millennium Park, where residents began moving in this month. The seller, Magellan Development Group LLC, has been scrambling for a replacement hotel owner since October, when Chicago-based Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc. walked away from its deal, citing the financial crisis and falling hotel revenues.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/mag/article.pl?articleId=31794&seenIt=1

Cool. I like the tower. It kinda looks like a waterfall effect, especially from the side view. Water pouring from the top; flowing down. But that's just me. Plus that angle from the bottom looking up is cool, too. :)

Really great news about Kimpton. An eccentric venue for an eccentric chain.

-----

From the weekend:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3377/3582958307_bdd4503fca_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/3583021695_dffacc7659_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3591/3583030419_79bd5ce157_b.jpg

June 12th 2009

http://www.izipik.com/images/200906/12/kyl2x6hrrmhbjwgrb4-13.jpg

http://www.izipik.com/images/200906/12/mgaugakis0nijxnerm-14.jpg

http://www.izipik.com/images/200906/12/kp4ygbl9zq6ahpwquv-15.jpg

http://www.izipik.com/images/200906/13/heexsym92o1hhvufka-16.jpg

http://www.izipik.com/images/200906/13/gy3poek9aqu1l5x2l3-17.jpg

^^

:O :O :O

<3 those pics and this building

hot, sexy, stupid, looks great up close and you hate yourself in the morning....the paris hilton of chicago architecture.

01. View from the podium terrace
http://www.fotosvanrotterdam.nl/pix/02/2279.jpg

02. That terrace comes with a running track, barbeque plaza and even some little hills
http://www.fotosvanrotterdam.nl/pix/02/2274.jpg

03. ... and off course a swimming pool
http://www.fotosvanrotterdam.nl/pix/02/2280.jpg

04. Looking up!
http://www.fotosvanrotterdam.nl/pix/02/2273.jpg

05. The balconies are casted along with the floors
http://www.fotosvanrotterdam.nl/pix/02/2272.jpg

06. Room on the 52nd floor.
http://www.fotosvanrotterdam.nl/pix/02/2278.jpg

07. Views from the 52nd and up.
http://www.fotosvanrotterdam.nl/pix/02/2271.jpg


08.
http://www.fotosvanrotterdam.nl/pix/02/2275.jpg

09.
http://www.fotosvanrotterdam.nl/pix/02/2276.jpg

10.
http://www.fotosvanrotterdam.nl/pix/02/2277.jpg

11.
http://www.fotosvanrotterdam.nl/pix/02/2281.jpg

12.
http://www.fotosvanrotterdam.nl/pix/02/2282.jpg

Good job on the pictures! Do you happen to have more pictures of the outdoor pool/landscaped area/running track, etc.? I'm really interested in seeing more of it...just that one picture of the landscaping is pretty cool.

http://chicagoismynewblog.wordpress.com

I am moving into Aqua on Friday. Now that I've finally figured out how to upload pictures correctly, I'll take some more of the outdoor deck and (hopefully!) post them this weekend.

I am moving into Aqua on Friday. Now that I've finally figured out how to upload pictures correctly, I'll take some more of the outdoor deck and (hopefully!) post them this weekend.

Awesome! Can't wait.

Here's a lengthy video view (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ebaQ7FL68w) from SE and NW corner units shot late this morning by our managing editor Joe Askins.

Click hQ and view full screen for the best impact.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2549/3673869422_b55c603c4e_b.jpg

View from northwest corner unit. Much larger version at Flickr (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2549/3673869422_e0228e65b0_o.jpg).

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3304/3673868530_e3dea840ff_b.jpg

View from southewest corner unit. Much larger version at Flickr (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3304/3673868530_4c4a8fecfd_o.jpg).

Photos shot earlier today by YoChicago's Joe Askins.

^^WOW those panoramas are amazing...Anyone know how much units run for in Aqua?

Isn't aqua primarily rentals?

Birdboy08 and simulcra:

Here's the info I got while I was shooting those panos:

Only 16 of Aqua's 264 condos are still for sale through Magellan, according to their sales manager. Of those, eight are listed: two one-bedrooms in the $470s and $690s, three two-bedrooms in the $630s to $750s, and three three-bedrooms from $1.02 to $1.24 million.

About 30 percent of its 474 apartments are leased. Studios and convertibles (564 to 681 square feet) run from $1,478 to $1,940 a month; one-bedroom apartments (734 to 854 square feet) are $1,964 to $2,374 a month; and two-bedrooms (1,160 square feet) are $3,006 to $3,111 a month.

so the rents are higher than the typical mortgage payment....interesting. good luck with that.

i'm curious, how many actual closings have they had so far on the condos?

Helmet Yawn,

The rentals are on the lower floors. The condos begin at about 52 and won't be ready for occupancy until about September. Closings will start then and continue through next year as units are completed and certified for occupancy.

Not that many condos are still available for purchase. And, you really can't compare rental rates to condo payments here due to the the difference in height / views between the two. I don't know for sure, but there may also be differences in finishes, etc.

would you compare rental rates vs. mortgage payments if these were two separate buildings- one rental, one condo- competing for the same demos?

they might just be capitalizing on the fact that not many people would be willing to manage a down payment or lock into a piece of property right now, even if a mortgage payment when numerically equal to rent is still preferable.

Those panoramas are truly amazing.

Those panoramas are truly amazing.

its all about the clouds IMO. those are the best kind of shooting....I wonder what time of day that was taken at.

I wonder what time of day that was taken at.

Check out the shadow of the NBC Tower in the first pic. Mid-morning?

Todd Wendell, project manager of Aqua for Loewenberg Architects, walked YoChicago's Joe Askins around the terrace in this video at YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsQenNa43bM).

The panoramas were shot toward the latter part of the morning.

Aqua's Townhomes

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2614/3682266209_35b895785e_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3547/3682266127_bacb1a5e80_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3661/3682266043_92bab331b2_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2608/3682265969_a3a8eeb638_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2588/3683078912_4ba3b2162d_b.jpg

http://chicagoismynewblog.wordpress.com

They're kinda bleh, but I still love those townhomes. How do they look in context? I must imagine it's kind of jarring to have some vaguely modern/geomtric small buildings right next to stylishly awesome curvy tower?

This is one of my favorite buildings in Chicago. How much did it cost to build?

They're kinda bleh, but I still love those townhomes. How do they look in context? I must imagine it's kind of jarring to have some vaguely modern/geomtric small buildings right next to stylishly awesome curvy tower?

They actually look really nice. Plus, just imagine how huge of a blank wall that would have created if they didn't incorporate the townhomes. I just wonder how much noise would be created with the ballroom area RIGHT above their heads.

http://chicagoismynewblog.wordpress.com

Floor 2 just opened to residents on Friday, 7/3.

Mural outside leasing / management offices:
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/4006/dsc01881n.jpg

Conference room (part of business center):
http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/4666/dsc01883.jpg

Business Center:
http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/671/dsc01885h.jpg

Fitness Lounge:
http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/5935/dsc01886ikj.jpg

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/9970/dsc01892sug.jpg

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/9461/dsc01893h.jpg

Theater:
http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/7697/dsc01887.jpg

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/1723/dsc01888w.jpg

Billiards / Game room:
http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/4347/dsc01889.jpg

Fitness Center:
http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/9268/dsc01894z.jpg

http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/6302/dsc01895m.jpg

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/4033/dsc01896x.jpg

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/6422/dsc01902n.jpg

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/627/dsc01903j.jpg

Aerobics studio:
http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/2770/dsc01897n.jpg

http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/4103/dsc01898m.jpg

Basketball court:
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/8224/dsc01900wtn.jpg

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/6899/dsc01901n.jpg

Men's locker room:
http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/9619/dsc01904s.jpg

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/7827/dsc01905z.jpg

The steam room, sauna and massage therapy rooms are still under construction. I'll post those photos once they are done.

Indoor pool:
http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/8178/dsc01857s.jpg

Indoor whirlpool:
http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/5139/dsc01860x.jpg

iPod docking station (these are found in almost all the public rooms):
http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/1041/dsc01861a.jpg

Sky Garden:
http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/3791/dsc01865.jpg

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/4276/dsc01866d.jpg

Party Suites:
#1
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/3504/dsc01867y.jpg

#2
http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/916/dsc01871t.jpg

#2 kitchen
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/7450/dsc01870i.jpg

Outdoor pool:
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/6363/dsc01873x.jpg

http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/2117/dsc01875.jpg

Grills / cabana:
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/2117/dsc01876z.jpg

Outdoor deck:
http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/7458/dsc01872a.jpg

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/2871/dsc01878h.jpg

Awesome shots! A lot of the outdoor deck pictures are so good they look fake. They did a great job on the outdoor area...if I lived there I'd be outside all the time.

http://chicagoismynewblog.wordpress.com

Look at the height of the ceiling in the basketball court. Good lord.

Rather uninspired interiors.

^^ Agree, though I do like the billiards table.

so much for my patented rainbow jumper.

That theatre looked pretty disappointing too.

Definitely skimped on the theater. Bar stools instead of lounge chairs? Really?!?

If my recollection is correct the seating in the theater just hasn't been installed yet.

The amenities floor is moving at a fast pace but is not yet complete.

JoeZekas is correct. The amenity floors are nowhere near complete. They opened Floor 3 a few weeks back (indoor pool, sky garden, party suites and outdoor deck), but Floor 2 (fitness center, theater, etc) just opened last Friday. The sauna and steam rooms are weeks from completion, by my estimate. The business center and conference room aren't done. And, no, that is not the permanent theater furniture. I was originally told before I moved in that everything would be finished by the end of July. I get back from vacation on August 1, so we'll see!

The iPod docking stations crack me up. The way technology advances, I can see that looking 10 years like what having an 8-track player in the wall would look like today.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/b24chicago/3704626584/sizes/l/

Nice pic. I still wish they had installed balconies on that one floor, so we could have a single, unbroken pattern from top to bottom.

actually, in about 5 years it'll be the only interesting part of aqua.

It's really just a good, tall, standard structure with eccentric balconies. Willowy, undulating balconies that look like they taste like hmmmmmm, marshmallow.........

Nice pic. I still wish they had installed balconies on that one floor, so we could have a single, unbroken pattern from top to bottom. I'm new to this forum; is there a reason they didn't install balconies on that one floor? thanks

I'm pretty sure it's a mechanical floor, and going with the "form follows function" mantra, balconies aren't needed.

Along with several hundred homeowners, I spent several hours this afternoon at the Aqua Celebration Event.

In this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgrrSjA8LdM) several buyers reminisce about the frenzy of buying that occurred 3 years ago when sales began.

There's more Aqua video at our YouTube playlist (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=E068AB0A14772635), and we'll be adding more yet.

We took an elevator to the penthouse level and then climbed a steel ladder to the roof of Aqua earlier today. The weather was ideal, and we shot tons of photos and video.

YouTube is balking at video uploads for a bit, so check back later for some video from the roof.

The photos below are from Michael Kardas (http://kardasphotography.com), our staff photographer. A few more in a Lakeshore East album at Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/yochicago1/sets/72157621784138285/detail/). We'll have tons more uploaded over
the next week.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2475/3776051151_f6491ef8e4_b.jpg

Larger version at Flickr. (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2475/3776051151_957f1b280b_o.jpg)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3247/3776856402_8918193f3e_b.jpg

Larger version at Flickr. (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3247/3776856402_39b1ea2666_o.jpg)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2479/3776049883_3d3f4833cf_b.jpg

Larger version at Flickr. (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2479/3776049883_050dc71e26_o.jpg)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2522/3776854438_7fe22eeaed_b.jpg

Larger version at Flickr. (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2522/3776854438_5e32c1289c_o.jpg)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2443/3776854030_c0938c2c60_b.jpg

Larger version at Flickr. (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2443/3776854030_c733c92131_o.jpg)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2474/3776047739_f7b1eff80b_b.jpg

Larger version at Flickr. (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2474/3776047739_686b286044_o.jpg)

Joe Askins has posted some of the photos he took (http://**************/today/new-east-side/from-the-top-of-aqua-a-sneak-peek_9098/), and a Photosynth, at YoChicago

super

Those wavy balconies present quite a challenge.

Watch project manager Todd Wendell (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cflhxUUN1VU) talk about the specially-built equipment for window washing. And see some of the views from the roof of Aqua.

See more than 20 recent videos from Aqua (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=E068AB0A14772635) at our YouTube playlist.

Joe, have to say, you guys have totally outdone yourselves with some great photos!!! Those are pretty incredible, thanks for sharing and keep up the great posts!

We obviously love doing this. It's a rush to get up on top of these buildings.

Some thanks are due also to the developers who grant us access - sometimes over the objections of their contractors, who aren't enthusiastic about having outsiders tromping around their construction sites or riding their elevators.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2661/3850405286_425f16596d_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2520/3849436257_5fe66d3e25_b.jpg

I have to say that I like the entrance more than I thought I was going to. It's just another smooth wave for the building.

http://chicagoismynewblog.wordpress.com

I can already see this building being used in an action/suspense movie where the main character has to tip-toe from one balcony to another at a dangerous height to escape his/her pursuers.

The next James Bond film perhaps?

I don't think Chicago is an "exotic" enough location for 007. Perhaps the next Batman movie?

Nah, if anything 007 would be climbing down into the chicago spire hole into a super-villains secret lair to plant a few strategically placed explosives to let the lake flood in and wash out the villains.:ohno:

Nah, if anything 007 would be climbing down into the chicago spire hole into a super-villains secret lair to plant a few strategically placed explosives to let the lake flood in and wash out the villains.:ohno:

By villains, do you mean mayor and alderman?:devil:

Taken on 9/4:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3492/3888317771_84c6cba911_o.jpg

http://i29.tinypic.com/357pmir.jpg

one of the best buildings ever IMO

Taken tonight:
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/6374/aquaetal.jpg

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/8133/dsc0488612.jpg

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/1265/dsc0488312.jpg

Aqua has failed to receive FNMA approval and the result is a slowed pace of closings.

We picked up a rumor to that effect in this thread at SkyscraperPage (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=99367&page=269), and posted an update at YoChicago (http://tinyurl.com/ygmq4sb) based on info from "a source close to the developer."

what is FNMA?

11/21

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2565/4127637017_11396e94ef_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2657/4130518458_2ed0833d00_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2566/4132838944_3868099266_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2533/4132795220_1f9890f2b0_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2514/4132030773_b6920e19f4_b.jpg

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune....kyscraper.html

More praise for Aqua: Global building database selects it as 2009's top skyscraper

Chicago architect Jeanne Gang's Aqua skyscraper continues to reap high praise.

Emporis, the global building database, on Tuesday will name the residential and hotel tower, located in the 200 block of North Columbus Drive and best known for its spectacularly undulating balconies, its 2009 skyscraper of the year.

"Members of the jury praised Aqua for its fascinating shape, whose appearance changes dramatically depending on the perspective. It was also cited as a brilliant technical achievement for the precision of its construction, and lauded as an application of green design innovations to an extremely large building project," Emporis said in a news release.

The honor, known as the Emporis Skyscraper Award, has been given since 2000 and recognizes excellence in aesthetic and functional design.

It has previously gone to such high-rises as Lord Norman Foster's Hearst Tower in New York City and Santiago Calatrava's Turning Torso Tower in Malmo, Sweden.

This marks the first time that the prize, which is given annually to a building at least 100 meters tall that was completed within the award year, has gone to a Chicago skyscraper.

Chicago's Trump International Hotel & Tower, designed by Chicago architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and former SOM partner Adrian Smith, finished fifth in the jury's voting, with 36 points compared to Aqua's 86.

The second prize winner was the O-14 high-rise in Dubai, whose perforated exterior provides a unique shield against the desert sun. (The building was not occupied when I attempted to see it in Dubai last month.)

Emporis editors from 67 countries make nominations for the prize and select the winners. Here are the jury's top results:


Top 10 Skyscrapers of 2009

(rank / building / city / country / points)
1. Aqua, Chicago U.S.A.. 86
2. O-14 Dubai U.A.E., 61
3. The Met, Bangkok Thailand, 43
4. Torres de Hércules, Los Barrios Spain, 38
5. Trump International Hotel & Tower, Chicago U.S.A., 36
6. The Red Apple, Rotterdam Netherlands, 34
7. Bank of America Tower, New York City U.S.A.. 32
8. Almas Tower, Dubai U.A.E., 16
9. Millennium Tower, San Francisco U.S.A., 13
10. William Beaver House, New York City U.S.A., 10

@ #10. What the hell?

What's wrong with WBH?

Here comes my final video for the awesome Aqua:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZMAEfedUbU

Music: David Guetta ft Kid Cudi - Memories.

Enjoy!:)

I found the correct thread .....at last! Newspaper and radio reports in Melbourne Australia today about your new 'Aqua' Tower. Newspapers telling us about Architecture award......It looks fantastic so deserves that! and this morning on talk radio they interviewed the Architect. She gave a great description of the evolution of the design and how it works with open balconies. It was very interesting and shows this building is getting International coverage...which is good for Chicago as well. The only building we have been hearing about lately is in Dubai so great to get something spectacular from Chicago where skyscrapers began.

What's wrong with WBH?

What isn't? From the cheesy innuendo name to the inappropriate facade to the ridiculous marketing logo.

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/5038/picture15v.png

Ok lots of talk about it's shape but don't you realise part of that makes a residential tower have an outside component ? It's wave design allows balconies to a height that usually doesn't allow exterior open areas....the air flow is broken and dissipated .The balconies may be small but at least you can step out into the open if you need to have a break from confined interiors..............A great design !...and beautiful as well.

http://www.chicagojournal.com/News/03-17-2010/Finishing_up_Aqua

Finishing up Aqua
03/17/2010 10:00 PM

By CARISSA KRANZ

...Still, snaring a hotel operator has proved especially vexing. Negotiations with chains such as Fairmont and Kimpton have already fallen through.

“They walked away from their earnest money because they couldn’t perform; another example of the affect of the economic downturn. But we’re in active negotiations with a replacement hotel and excited about the prospect,” Carlins said.

If no hotel deal comes through, Carlins plans to convert the floors envisioned for a hotel into additional apartments or condominiums. The process would be easy he said.

I cannot imagine anyone who actually visited and researched the project will argue this is the best new building in the world. It's just an economized box which mediocrity and lack of any other excelling features is being camouflaged by one gimmick which only looks cool when looking up from Columbus Drive. The actual size and usability of the balconies is also quite small as well.

I cannot imagine anyone who actually visited and researched the project will argue this is the best new building in the world. It's just an economized box which mediocrity and lack of any other excelling features is being camouflaged by one gimmick which only looks cool when looking up from Columbus Drive. The actual size and usability of the balconies is also quite small as well.

But Jan, that's the beauty of what you and so many others fail to understand: that the best architecture need not be ridiculously expensive, need not be garish in it's adornment and can say a lot architecturally without having to be a blatant, overdone, overcomplicated mess. YOU actually said it best, that yes, it's an economized glass box, camouflaged not by a gimmick, but an ingenious and ORIGINAL take on how balconies are placed on buildings. It's material construction is simple yet that is immaterial because it's the effect that the building creates which is most important and why this building engenders so much heated discussion. It doesn't matter frankly what the building looks like from a mile or two away because it's SUPPOSED to be viewed best and experienced best along Columbus Drive, from Millenium Park, from the Chicago River etc...just like the Picasso statue in Daley plaza, most people see it as an icon of the City just by what it is and it's artistic provenance, but those that understand how it's best viewed and from what angle can truly appreciate the work of art on a different level; this is arguably what the Aqua achieves best, doing so much visually from so little - and that is why this is one of the best new high-rises of the year :cheers:

...but an ingenious and ORIGINAL take on how balconies are placed on buildings.Bertrand Goldberg beat Jeanne Gang some 45+ years when it comes to that. Other than that you talk a lot but say very little to convince me. Basically your argument is: "cheap never looked so good". I'm not saying Aqua is a bad building but the best one the world in 2009 had to offer? I mean come on. Study The Met if you want to know what an interesting tall buildings is all about. As far as original wavy balconies are concerned, The Wave in Broadbeach (Australia, completed in 2006) strikes me more:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2024/2470172111_15512ffc2e.jpg?v=0

Comparing Marina city to the aqua is like apples and orange....prove how they're similar. Also, even though the aqua might seem similar to that nice Australian tower you're comparing it too, again I see a big difference between one pattern repeated over the whole facade as compared to the aqua which has a completely randomized pattern. But whatever, everyone's bound to have differences in opinion, especially for a building as unique as the aqua, which I argue it is. And yes, "cheap" can be good; something that's expensive doesn't always equal quality....just look at Britney spears ;)

Yes, Britney Spears proves that being popular isn't the same as being good, so thanks for the comparison. ;) Bottom line is that you like Aqua, and I am just not impressed by it so I think we're good if we're leaving it there. The only merit of Aqua I can think of is that it proves balconies are a very underrated element in tall building design, especially the residential tall building.

The reason why I think Marina City is better at it is because of the size and shape, them balconies are actually usable and as such are a true extension of your living space. Most of Aqua's balconies really are small as in lacking depth, barely fitting a table of two, and having a very cheap railing while at it. The larger ones are supported by concrete beams on the balcony (so you cannot see them from Columbus Drive ;) ), instantly screwing up the open space on it. Instead of being just a slab sticking out, Marina City's balconies are supported by a beautifully curved support structure so it doesn't need a clumsy placed beam, leaving a striking design while at it.

Small:
http://www.fotosvanrotterdam.nl/pix/02/2412.jpg

Larger version, including beam. You can sit on that all right.
http://www.fotosvanrotterdam.nl/pix/02/2413.jpg

Wow that is hilarious! I don't remember seeing any concrete bump-outs like that on the drawings..
I do respect your opinion on it though, so thanks for your honesty. I do like the fact though that the Aqua can bring up such a discussion and create so many varied opinions.

The New Yorker
Paul Goldberger
Wave Effect: Jeanne Gang and architecture’s anti-divas.
FEBRUARY 1, 2010

.....(T)he success of Aqua isn’t just that Gang figured out a smart, low-budget way of turning an ordinary glass condo tower into something that looks exciting. The design is anchored in common sense in two ways that aren’t immediately apparent, making the building, from a technical point of view, even more remarkable than it looks. The balcony overhangs of the façade serve an environmental purpose, shading apartments from the hot summer sun. More ingenious still, they protect the building from the force of wind, one of the most difficult challenges in skyscraper engineering. The landscape of rolling hills and valleys created by the balconies effectively confuses the heavy Chicago winds, giving them no clear path. The wind is broken up so much that the building didn’t require a device known as a “tuned mass damper”—a mass weighing hundreds of tons that engineers place at the top of tall buildings to stabilize them against the vibrations and sway caused by the force of wind. And using the curves to dissipate the wind gave Gang a bonus: she was able to put balconies on every floor, all the way up. Usually, condominiums sixty or seventy floors above the street don’t have balconies, because it’s just too windy up there to go outside.

When you catch your first glimpse of Aqua’s swirling façade poking out from between its boxy neighbors, you might think it’s a gigantic version of one of those “blob” buildings of the past few years, curvy forms designed largely by computer. But Gang isn’t Greg Lynn or Hani Rashid. She brings aesthetics and engineering together in a way that is more aligned with the tradition of Chicago’s canonical modern architecture than the building’s appearance suggests. Chicago is where architects like Louis Sullivan, John Wellborn Root, Mies van der Rohe, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill elevated pragmatic solutions to structural problems to the level of art. And that is precisely what Gang has done, albeit with a different aesthetic. For all its visual power, Aqua is mostly free of conceit. In an age in which so much architectural form—even, sometimes, the best architectural form—has no real rationale beyond the fact that it is what the architect felt like doing, there is something admirable about the tower’s lack of arbitrariness. It reclaims the notion that thrilling and beautiful form can still emerge out of the realm of the practical.....

Read more: http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/skyline/2010/02/01/100201crsk_skyline_goldberger#ixzz0irlk9x6U

If you wanted to boost the 'Aqua is great' argument you really should quote Blair Kamin, who gets wet inside his pants every time he mentions the building, or Jeanne Gang for that matter. Then again, these are architecture critics, not skyscraper critics. Can't really blame them with all this traditionalism in the US.

Anyway, the shading and wind breaking effect of balconies is not something Aqua invented, pretty much every balcony that sticks out does that. There's a lot of marketing going on when it comes to tall buildings and sustainability and I'm afraid this in no exception. Gang herself always likes to mention the bird friendly façade of Aqua, but to me that also written up as an afterthought. Unless someone really believes the main reason the balconies are there is because of the birdies.

Lots of towers in the area (Goldberger: boxy neighbors) were developed by the same Magellan Development Group who just wanted something eye catching as to draw the attention away from the mediocrity in that area, so that is what he got. Bravo. But please don't make it sound like this building was designed to be sustainable and it all comes out of the goodness of your heart. When it comes to that, ask yourself how much energy it cost to operate an outdoor swimming pool in Chicago.

As for Paul Golderberger, yes the balconies are fun. Please take a number praising them. While at it, have a look at the plinth, the floor plans, the materials and especially the detailing and tell me what's so good about it. Or make a smart comment of the fact that being situated next to a public park, Aqua offers a private roof top park, so that these people won't mix with the city surrounding them. ... Why anyone would prefer to run around in circles on the rooftop while you have Grant Park and the lake almost next door is a mystery to me.

I cannot imagine anyone who actually visited and researched the project will argue this is the best new building in the world. It's just an economized box which mediocrity and lack of any other excelling features is being camouflaged by one gimmick which only looks cool when looking up from Columbus Drive. The actual size and usability of the balconies is also quite small as well.

Well, I agree with you that this isn't the best new building in the world, because under its skin, Aqua is still a value-engineered Lowenberg mediocrity. But it still has what is arguably the year's best design front. Gang has gotten a lot with very little here. The balconies especially do lots of things all at once: they brand the tower (that is the gimmick aspect); they dissipate wind loads; they provide Summer solar shading; they bump out the view corridors; they extend they floors & ceilings to make the units feel less cramped.

Lowenberg is hell; Gang is redemption.

they dissipate wind loads; they provide Summer solar shading; they bump out the view corridors; they extend they floors & ceilings to make the units feel less cramped. Well again, every balcony in the world does that. Why people make this out to be an exclusive Aqua invention is beyond me. Given the modest depth of the Aqua balconies I even doubt the impact of these effects, the shallow sections of the waves could lead to wind channeling effects for as far as I know. The only gimmick is that Aqua's balconies combine into a wavy pattern, but even that has been done before.

Well again, every balcony in the world does that. Why people make this out to be an exclusive Aqua invention is beyond me. Given the modest depth of the Aqua balconies I even doubt the impact of these effects, the shallow sections of the waves could lead to wind channeling effects for as far as I know. The only gimmick is that Aqua's balconies combine into a wavy pattern, but even that has been done before.

The design of the shading effect is specific to the Summer months at this parallel.

The Wave in Broadbeach (Australia, completed in 2006) strikes me more:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2024/2470172111_15512ffc2e.jpg?v=0
So a building that is focused on defining the gimmick strikes you more than one that redefines the gimmick?

Aqua makes cheap look good. It's a throw-back sort of futurism, like Saarinen's TWA terminal, especially with the old-fashioned railings on the balconies. Not ground-breaking IMO, and you can't really build more than one or two of these without looking gimmicky...

...and you can't really build more than one or two of these without looking gimmicky...

I couldn't agree more. Hopefully, future developers and architects will think the same thing.

Well, I think it is great that people are passionate about this, regardless of the take.

The design of the shading effect is specific to the Summer months at this parallel.I can see this argument at the Solstice on the Park design, but not here. Could you link some information on this as far as Aqua is concerned as I'm having trubble agreeing on that.

I can see this argument at the Solstice on the Park design, but not here. Could you link some information on this as far as Aqua is concerned as I'm having trubble agreeing on that.

The balcony shading works in conjunction with the different types of glass on the building. The pockets that have the balcony shading have lower performing glass that is more transparent, while the glass without or with very little shading has a higher performing glass and a deeper coloration creating the "pooling water" effect.

That balconies were not created solely for shading, that is their secondary purpose which works in conjunction with the glass I just mentioned. The depth and positioning of the balconies were for acquiring and accentuation the views available from the tower at various levels of several notable points around chicago. NOT mirroring solar angles. This idea however, got a little shot to shit with the BCBS expansion, which at a lecture Jeanne Gang even bemoaned

I can see this argument at the Solstice on the Park design, but not here. Could you link some information on this as far as Aqua is concerned as I'm having trubble agreeing on that.

You are correct - I am thinking of Solstice.

All I can say about this building is wow. I'm sure it is one of the beautiful buildings in Chicago

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/2010/05/a-hotel-sets-sail-for-aqua.html

A hotel sets sail for Aqua
Blair Kamin

The developer of Aqua, the boldly undulating Chicago tower that has garnered architectural acclaim, looks to be on the verge of filling a major economic gap inside the 82-story skyscraper.

Jim Loewenberg, the tower's developer and architect of record, told me this morning that a hotel has signed a deal to occupy Aqua's hotel floors. An announcement will be made by the end of this week or early next week, he said.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hD_bxXWS5lMf74cpldBAPlotI0awD9FLDPGG2

New luxury Radisson planned for Chicago high-rise

Radisson is writing one of the biggest checks in company history for a posh downtown Chicago high-rise.

Carlson Hotels Worldwide announced Wednesday it would spend $125 million on the first American property in its upscale Radisson Blu line.

A Blu hotel in Aqua -- how appropriate!

Radisson is one of those American brands (the only one of Minneapolis' grand-dame hotels to kinda survive) that's midscale stateside but upscale abroad, notably in Europe; "Blu" is their new European brand that will be brought stateside. $700M has been allocated for flagship Blu hotels in U.S. major markets, and from the looks of it there'll be 5-6.

Radisson Blu = Radisson SAS. It was renamed after SAS [Skanidinavian Airlines] left the partnership.

The "Blu" will help stateside since RATisson has a fairly lowly reputation.

Is it just me or does the Aqua tower (going south on LSD) at a certain angle look like a girl's profile on the side? :nuts: (i wish i knew how to upload the pic on here)

5-14

http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/9059/aqualr.jpg (http://img691.imageshack.us/i/aqualr.jpg/)

Taken on 6/12:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4694291783_6c68ed517c_o.jpg

the tower looks sick!

Is it just me or does the Aqua tower (going south on LSD) at a certain angle look like a girl's profile on the side? :nuts:

You need a girlfriend

Radisson Blu - Aqua

Lobby on the first floor next to the bar, restaurant on the first floor and mezzanine
http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/5195/blu1w.jpg
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/571/blu2e.jpg
http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/7518/blu3.jpg

^ I'm liking that interior

You need a girlfriend

never noticed this remark before.... I don't get it...

Radisson Blu - Aqua

Lobby on the first floor next to the bar, restaurant on the first floor and mezzanine
http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/5195/blu1w.jpg
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/571/blu2e.jpg
http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/7518/blu3.jpg

Thanks spyguy - who is the designer?

^[Christian] Lundwall Architects.

Aqua hotel venture lands $66-million loan, starts construction

Crain's Chicago Business
11/4/10

"...A development joint venture has begun construction on a 334-room hotel in the Aqua tower near Millennium Park after obtaining a $66-million loan to finance the project. The Radisson Blu, a new upscale brand run by Carlson Hotels Worldwide, will open next September..."

"...Magellan and Minneapolis-based Carlson announced plans in May to team up on the hotel, which will occupy 18 vacant floors in the high-rise and cost about $125 million to build. The development deal and the $66-million construction loan from Hartford, Conn.-based Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC closed Wednesday..."

http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.com/article/20101104/CRED03/101109928/aqua-hotel-venture-lands-66-million-loan-starts-construction

^^I thought the first 18 floors could hold only 215 hotel rooms?

Taken on 6/12:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4694291783_6c68ed517c_o.jpg

Any reason for the break about 2/3 up? I find it really unsightly.

Any reason for the break about 2/3 up? I find it really unsightly.


You wouldn't if you owned both floors.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2382/5745059206_f41dfa8980_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dawilson/5745059206/)
Aqua Building, Downtown Chicago (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dawilson/5745059206/) by DaveWilsonPhotography (http://www.flickr.com/people/dawilson/), on Flickr

I'm staying here for a week. I'm on the 44th. Nice building especially from the outside. The unit I'm in is pretty nice but since it's a rental, it is builders beige. The CVS is convenient but the clerks are attitudy and have no personality. Oh well, if I worked at CVS and dealt with dickheads all day I would be attitudy also. Haven't checked out all the amenities but have been on the treadmill three times now. I'm staring right at 340 on the park. That's my "if I win the lottery" building. It's probably my favorite building to stare at.

I was asked recently how the architects incorporated a thermal break into the extended floor slabs. Anyone know?

We had a thermal break company come in to my office for a lunch and learn and heard there are no thermal breaks in the slabs ar aqua...other than that I have not heard anything else...

If Radisson BLU is for Radisson Hotels in the United States, then how is a Radisson BLU going to open within the United States?

I think this building is 883 feet tall, not 823 feet

Spectacular building. When looking up from it's base, the balcony pattern is really something to see.

I'm glad I got to see this up close finally.

I would define this as Chicago's "sexiest" building. ;)