Height:
Floor count: 80
Location: North Clark & East Lake
Neighborhood: Loop
Construction end:
Architect: Solomon, Cordwell, and Buenz
Developer:

Conservatory Tower
Chicago, Illinois

Conservatory Tower aspires to set a precedent for environmentally sensitive tall buildings in Chicago’s urban context. The 1.1 million sf project is composed of two distinct yet complementary components, a conservatory or enclosed winter garden, and an 80 story hotel and condo tower rising above.

The 28,000 sf winter garden is enclosed by a high efficiency glazing system, protecting a lush landscape and occupants from inclement weather, noise and air pollution, while optimizing natural air ventilation. The tower’s thin profile makes full use of natural light, while minimizing heat gain during summer months and shadow effect on neighboring spaces. Natural light can reach the interior spaces, reducing energy consumption year round. Topping the tower is a Sky Garden containing a number of condominium amenities and an enclosed garden.

http://www.scb.com/images/project/415/Conservatory_Tower_071108_22x34_Page_1.jpg

http://www.scb.com/images/project/415/Conservatory_Tower_Base1_Page_2.jpg

If built, this would replace the food court on the northeast corner of Lake Street and Clark Street.

It would be diagonally across the street from Waterview Tower and it would go due south of 77 W. Wacker Dr.

Wow, I really love the idea! Do it. :cheers:

wow thats cool

Fantastic!!!!

I really like that slanted roof and the project all-around.

I love the palm trees inside and the location. I really hope that this isn't just a pipe dream.....

If built, this would replace the food court on the northeast corner of Lake Street and Clark Street.

It would be diagonally across the street from Waterview Tower and it would go due south of 77 W. Wacker Dr.
July 28, 2008

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/4906/dsc0122ew9.jpg

I like it. This one can be part of the next boom.

I've never seen the winter garden concept used on residential property; has anyone seen differently?

I thought 340 on the Park had one?

Edit: Yes, it has one on the 25th floor.

Interesting. In a perfect world, they would just tear down the entire 200 North Dearborn complex, instead of just the food court, and replace it with this.

I thought 340 on the Park had one?

Edit: Yes, it has one on the 25th floor.

it's more of a space for the residents in the building. the 25th floor is where the community room, swimming pool, spa and other building amenities are.

it's not really a winter garden though

Interesting. In a perfect world, they would just tear down the entire 200 North Dearborn complex, instead of just the food court, and replace it with this.

unfortunately 200 north dearborn has now been converted into condos so that would be extremely difficult. hopefully the building won't become NIMBY central, opposing this possible beauty.

I thought 340 on the Park had one?

Edit: Yes, it has one on the 25th floor.

I was thinking more ground level, very high ceiling (like 311 S Wacker)

unfortunately 200 north dearborn has now been converted into condos so that would be extremely difficult. hopefully the building won't become NIMBY central, opposing this possible beauty.

Yeah, I was one who left when they did. Talk about overpriced! Maybe they worked some miracles in the living spaces, but what it was, and still is on the outside, it's just not a building that belongs in that location. This on the other hand, works very well.

WOW!! This. Is. Awesome. Unlike anything else in the city. I like the clear glass in particular. And as a plant lover, I can't argue with the winter garden.

What is the source for this information?

WOW!! This. Is. Awesome. Unlike anything else in the city. I like the clear glass in particular. And as a plant lover, I can't argue with the winter garden.

What is the source for this information?


http://www.scb.com/?mainpage=2&pagetype=Architecture&p=415&firstlevel=0&seclevel=4

Is the Conservatory Tower even a real project or is it just a vision?

No one really knows, hence the hedged title.

This would be great, that lower garden is so interesting

http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/9538/50249595qy4.jpg
http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/9564/41618423mc5.jpg
http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/5146/98845441dl0.jpg

^^

love it, ryan, but after enticing us and making us salivate:

you better show up at Waterview tomorrow morning at 5:00 a.m. with your hammer, nails, and tool box, take the elevator up, and get to work. Even if you do not have any compnay!

Amazing stuff, as always, ryan!

Ryan you mock us with your cruel mock illustration showing tall towers mocking smaller towers.

That is really cool! :applause:

Very nice. Would that garden really stay so green and lush during the winter? I'd like to live in that building..

Great work! But seeing the Waterview makes me sick. What could have been....

Great work! But seeing the Waterview makes me sick. What could have been....

And what very likely might still be...

Great work! But seeing the Waterview makes me sick. What could have been....

It still could be. Have a bit of faith.

It still could be. Have a bit of faith.

It still will be.

as much as i hate to say it, the residential market in chicago is dead. it will continue to be so for at least the next 24 months. when it returns, it will not be like it was in it's peak.

waterview will probably be bought out by someone locally when the market picks up and will then be VE'd or even downsized quite a bit depending on if they can find a reputable flag to take over the hotel component. it actually happens all the time.

as much as i hate to say it, the residential market in chicago is dead. it will continue to be so for at least the next 24 months. when it returns, it will not be like it was in it's peak.

waterview will probably be bought out by someone locally when the market picks up and will then be VE'd or even downsized quite a bit depending on if they can find a reputable flag to take over the hotel component. it actually happens all the time.

Really? Where? Do you have examples?

locally, i think gammonly bought out a job in chicago on ohio & orleans a few years ago and renaisscant bought the 1000 s. michigan deal 2 years ago but still haven't broken ground on it.

many years ago, like in the late 80's, ray chin's deal on columbus & ohio was bought out after it initially got up to the garage then died. the ugly beige brick building at the corner of grand, erie, and milwaukee was started, stopped, then started again about 3 times before the city stopped construction on it before some suburban guys bought it out and put up the pos that's there now.

and let's not forget the struggle bill moran and howard weiner went through to get skybridge built. they needed to redesign the building and make it double-loaded which ate up a lot of time and when it finally went to market, the unit mix was way off (too BIG) and the project went belly up and stopped construction a couple of times before they had to make their gc a financial partner in the deal just to get the project built. the finished project has paper-thin windows, terrible concrete work and the interior finishes feel college dorm-like.

as far as hotels, there are a couple hotel/condo jobs in cleveland and one in newark i'm working on right now that had three different flags rotating interest depending on market spikes. the cleveland deal just killed it's condo component.

^ What you said is correct. What you said before was a bit of an exaggeration. The residential market in chicago is far from dead. The current market conditions have simply weeded out the weak developers, which imo is a good thing for the long term strength of our city. The ease of obtaining loans in the past allowed some rather mediocre projects to get built that would never have made it in this market. A QUALITY project from a QUALITY developer- and you need BOTH to be QUALITY- will still have a decent chance even in these market conditions. For example, park michigan and 1000 s michigan are projects that have failed because the developer is an amateur. 680 N rush was a great design by a competent developer, but the price points were too high and the canyon ranch concept was wrong for that location. Even Mandarin Oriental, which imo is in the wrong location, is still alive and it's a massive project. Central station and LSE are still moving forward, and various other projects are simply waiting for creditors to gain a little more confidence in the market, so that they feel better about the financial risks. The demand for chicago housing is still strong, and developers with experience, balls, and the right connections can still produce. Chicago isn't the hardest place to build, but knowing how to play politics here is very important in any business venture. Some do it well, and some cave in.

This settles the question of whether this is a vision or proposal:

http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.com/cgi-bin/page.pl?id=2166

Chicago: Conservatory Tower, 201 N Clark St., 1.1 million-sq.-ft. mixed-use development, February 2012, $140 million.

This settles the question of whether this is a vision or proposal:

Spire is still on that list wooo hoo!!

Chicago: Chicago Spire, 400 E. North Water St., 115-story residential tower, March 2010, $2.2 billion.

Any NEW news on this project?

Hopefully someone will get smart and build this out as an apartment/hotel project. That way, when the market gets better, the building can convert those really nice, expensive apartments into condos. That seems to be the trend lately...developers building apartment towers with the mentality of converting to condos at a later date. Plus, financing will be much easier to secure.

http://chicagoismynewblog.wordpress.com