Seems the State still wants to dump the Thompson Center and cares less on demolishing this stunning building downtown. (Chicago: sales, credit)

[DavePa]

Originally Posted by IronWright

Tear it down and build a supertall, the building is ugly and impractical. Cater to the 1% and bring an ultra luxury residential tower to the Loop which desperately needs some tall modern buildings. 800' and below does not make an impact.

I say tare down the ugly Daley Center instead for a super tall. Such a nice shade of brown on a box..... But it's practical and cost effective. Nothing creative bout it like the postmodern example Thompson Center that is - one-of-a-kind. I find its look nd atrium and use of colors.... stunning. Practical..... well no sadly. But I thought you hated average and common architecture?

The original Thomson Center Architect.... Helmut Jahn. Did give a rendering of how a super tall could be butted up to the Thomson Center. Still saving and incorporating it.

This was in Curbed Chicago a year ago.

https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/4/26...marks-illinois

[smegmatite]

Originally Posted by DavePa

I say tare down the ugly Daley Center instead for a super tall. Such a nice shade of brown on a box..... But it's practical and cost effective. Nothing creative bout it like the postmodern example Thompson Center that is - one-of-a-kind. I find its look nd atrium and use of colors.... stunning. Practical..... well no sadly. But I thought you hated average and common architecture?

The original Thomson Center Architect.... Helmut Jahn. Did give a rendering of how a super tall could be butted up to the Thomson Center. Still saving and incorporating it.

This was in Curbed Chicago a year ago.

https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/4/26...marks-illinois

I think you're being sarcastic but the daley center is a modern minimalist masterpiece

Situated on Randolph and Washington Streets between Dearborn and Clark Streets, the Richard J. Daley Center is considered one of Chicago's architectural highlights. The main building was designed in the International Style by Jacques Brownson of the firm C. F. Murphy Associates and completed in 1965. At the time it was the tallest building in Chicago, but only held this title for four years until the John Hancock Center was completed. Originally known as the Chicago Civic Center, the building was renamed for Mayor Daley on December 27, 1976, seven days after his death.[1] The 648-foot (198 m), thirty-one story building features Cor-Ten, a self-weathering steel. Cor-Ten was designed to rust, actually strengthening the structure and giving the building its distinctive red and brown color. The Daley Center has 30 floors, and is the tallest flat-roofed building in the world with fewer than 40 stories (a typical 648-foot (198 m) building would have 50-60 stories).

way more practical and attractive than the Thompson center which I think we should somehow save or incorporate into a new use

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by IronWright

Tear it down and build a supertall, the building is ugly and impractical. Cater to the 1% and bring an ultra luxury residential tower to the Loop which desperately needs some tall modern buildings. 800' and below does not make an impact.

Tear it down and build some ranch housing. The Loop desperately needs more ranch housing.

[IronWright]

Originally Posted by DavePa

I say tare down the ugly Daley Center instead for a super tall. Such a nice shade of brown on a box..... But it's practical and cost effective. Nothing creative bout it like the postmodern example Thompson Center that is - one-of-a-kind. I find its look nd atrium and use of colors.... stunning. Practical..... well no sadly. But I thought you hated average and common architecture?

The original Thomson Center Architect.... Helmut Jahn. Did give a rendering of how a super tall could be butted up to the Thomson Center. Still saving and incorporating it.

This was in Curbed Chicago a year ago.

https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/4/26...marks-illinois

I remember that proposal. Here are a couple renderings from "rgarri" over at SSP. I do think the building's design is unique but I'd rather see a supertall break the 800' plateau that doesn't really impact the skyline at all. The Loop needs a modern masterpiece. This location would offer great balance and fill a major gap between Sears and Trump.

[DavePa]

Originally Posted by smegmatite

I think you're being sarcastic but the daley center is a modern minimalist masterpiece

way more practical and attractive than the Thompson center which I think we should somehow save or incorporate into a new use

I'm no Architect. But I see no masterpiece in the Daley center. Minimalist yes. But I see the former originally IBM Black minimalist building. Between Marina City and Trump Tower .... as The Minimalist Masterpiece. Its dimensions, sleekness and total contrast to its neighbors gets my vote.

I'm glad for Daley Center Plaza so events to markets and Christmas seasons "Christkindlmarket" etc. But looking at the surrounding buildings around Daly Center .... makes me just say. Ugg DATED. Color not flattering and no sleek sense in its dimensions or appearance. Practical for cubicle office space ... no doubt.

Maybe you could explain WHY you see it as a --- masterpiece in Architecture of its era?

The Post modernist Thompson Center I'm sure added so much uncommon yet then in angles, vistas. Color and variations from the simple box. Still looks futuristic today. Maybe not the offices but the atrium and concessions are far from ugly and don't look outdated.

Whoever made the choice to go with a cheaper less sun-reflective and suns rays protecting sheathing glass exterior. Was a huge culprit in its issues.

At least the Thompson Center is "One-of-a-kind. Nothing common about it. Again, I don't dislike the rendering of a butting up a Supertall to it though ..... destroying the plaza, but sparing the Thomson and incorporating it as the LINK I gave from "Curbed Chicago" shows, by the original Architect he devised as a example.

Then it's kinda a win win. But won't be the State doing it.

Chicago IMO. Doesn't need a bunch of small footprint skinny supertalls like Manhattan got. (as your middle photo seems to show in renderings) Chicago's not that limited in land around the Loop and some older garages still could go for one. The one next to the Sears is a surprise to me it still survives. I parked there many times in the early 80s. But certainly nothing worthy of the Icon across from it and its base makeover underway.

I merely agree the Loop could uses a couple impressive supertalls. But many skinny ones no. Scroll plenty of areas south west and north of the Loop for some. The Tribune Super tall proposed. Might be sleek. But doesn't look Chicago to me. If that makes any sense?

[jfre81]

An ode to this endangered masterpiece

Untitled by James Fremont, on Flickr

[smegmatite]

Originally Posted by DavePa

I'm no Architect. But I see no masterpiece in the Daley center. Minimalist yes. But I see the former originally IBM Black minimalist building. Between Marina City and Trump Tower .... as The Minimalist Masterpiece. Its dimensions, sleekness and total contrast to its neighbors gets my vote.

I'm glad for Daley Center Plaza so events to markets and Christmas seasons "Christkindlmarket" etc. But looking at the surrounding buildings around Daly Center .... makes me just say. Ugg DATED. Color not flattering and no sleek sense in its dimensions or appearance. Practical for cubicle office space ... no doubt.

Maybe you could explain WHY you see it as a --- masterpiece in Architecture of its era?

Its beauty is in its simplicity, it is quintessential mid century modern and if you've ever been inside with the glorious floor to ceiling windows and tall ceilings its amazing. I love walking past the absolutely massive cor ten steel columns that support it around the glassy lobby

Here's some more information on it

Richard J. Daley Center*·*Buildings of Chicago*·*Chicago Architecture Center - CAC

[DavePa]

Originally Posted by smegmatite

Its beauty is in its simplicity, it is quintessential mid century modern and if you've ever been inside with the glorious floor to ceiling windows and tall ceilings its amazing. I love walking past the absolutely massive cor ten steel columns that support it around the glassy lobby

Here's some more information on it

Richard J. Daley Center*·*Buildings of Chicago*·*Chicago Architecture Center - CAC

The Architectural tours, also includes the Thompson Center.

Thompson Center*·*Buildings of Chicago*·*Chicago Architecture Center - CAC

As I said. The Daley Center clearly was built with efficiency of most office space to utilize and column-less floor plans.

When I see the Daley Center. I see a building as the workplace. One of many "less is more" boxes in Chic ago 60s 70s especially. I like the open plaza .... though quite plain when event free. But great Chicago has these plazas to the Loop as not all walled skyscrapers. The Picasso certainly blends in with the building.
Of course its efficiency and use has no one push to tare it down. The Thompson is far from the most efficient use of its space. Just the atrium alone. But its a key L hub, connected to the pedway and no one will ever climb - its ordinary.

I see no reason to destroy it as it is just so unique it's impressive and as futuristic looking today, as its look when built gave it.

As I noted the original Architect did provide a concept rendering of a supertall butted up to the Thompson where the plaza is. Clearly, incorporation and saving the Thompson too.

As I posted before his rendering.

https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/4/26...marks-illinois

Either way. I doubt a full destruction would occur by a buyer. If anything .... preservationist will lunch landmark status to spare it.

I just do get it is costly to the State in neglecting many things the building needs and too grey for the State to invest that money into it and choking to sell it instead.

Anyone who isn't impressed by its atrium and use of blues and salmon color to its design even on the floor. I can't imagine why.

The case even for the Thompson could be - they don't build them like that anymore ..... at least in the US. So it is unique in grandeur despite seen as inefficient and wasted space.

[jfre81]

I was having so much fun with this kind of stuff in there that I forgot to actually just take a straight-up shot of the atrium interior

Untitled by James Fremont, on Flickr

[edsg25]

Could an argument be made that the right kind of developer could take the block on which the Thompson Center sits, build his new structure and incorporate the Thompson Center and creatively integrate it into the complex and, in the process.......make a more lucrative situation for his company than what it had been with the building being torn down?

I'd say, "yes".

The options of what one could do to the Thompson Center are open ended. Thinking outside the box can come up with the right use. For example, the ideas I have read about that turns the TC into an open air, open space structure are intriguing. The building could be open from the street level, naturally ventilated and the ring of offices around it be removed.

If the city wants to have its cake (a shiny new tower, likely the tallest within the confines of the Loop) and eat it too (retaining the Thompson Center in a repurposed form), it could do so. And how much $$$$$$ could be saved by being able to retain the super station, the most complex in the CTA system, at Clark & Lake, compared to the daunting task of rebuilding it.

If Chicago wanted to retain this building, it could easily have drawn up renderings and annotation to illustrate what the TC could look like. Visually showing how the building could be repositioned.....and make a profit over it.

New York can shift Penn Station into a more welcoming and majestic terminal by taking it from out and under MSG and placing it in a vintage building where it makes a good fit. But if given a chance, would New York like the original, magnificent Penn Station to never have been torn down? Hell, yes. Even though it doesn't get a do over. Be careful what you tear down.....you may never know how much you will miss it.

Penn Station is the reason reason there is a Hudson Yards ("yards" as in rail yards, not "yards" in a fancy name for a development). And today's Hudson Yards, by far the largest scaled and most expensive multiuser project to be built in any city, would benefit greatly if the original Penn Station still stood. And if it did, it could generate a type of life, a sense of place, a humanly defined structure that would contrast greatly (and help greatly) the absolute cold sterility of the soulless Hudson Yards.

Chicago, don't let history repeat itself.