It’s a bit of a conundrum for fans of modern architecture that the designer behind some of the city’s coolest and most progressive recent designs is best known for buildings that look like they stepped out of 19th century Paris. But this architect’s versatility (contemporary design fans, substitute another word there, if you prefer) was key when it came to creating Lincoln Park 2520, the high-end tower planned for 2520 N Lakeview Ave.
Early on, the developer considered a modern design, says Lucien Lagrange, who, in case you haven’t guessed, is the architect in question. The builder considered something aesthetically closer to X/O, Lagrange’s pair of leaning, asymmetrical glassy towers planned for the South Loop.
“So we did a very modern façade for the building,” Lagrange says. “And it worked! In the end, a step at a time, our new client realized that it wasn’t the thing to do, and it wasn’t what the public wanted.”
The development team figured prospective buyers would be most attracted to a more vintage style. “It’s a very much understated street because a lot of wealthy people live there,” Lagrange says. “They don’t like to show off, they like to be quiet – the kind of people who don’t go out to East Lake Shore Drive and the Gold Coast. They don’t want anybody to know who they are. So the market was for certainly high-end residents.”
Despite his own forays into modern design and the considerable praise he’s received for his contemporary buildings, Lagrange can be dismissive when it comes to angular steel-and-glass structures with clean lines, no stone and little ornament. “A lot of people don’t find that comfortable. They don’t think it’s elegant,” he says. “It doesn’t really respond to their values.”
I think the design of the buildings is amazing and very nicely detailed. This is the type of design that belongs in this location, I saw the modern version, and not so much! If this project turns out like the renderings are showing, it will be a nice addition to chicago.
This is not how Lagrange told the story at a monthly Friends of Downtown meeting a few months ago. There, he stated that it was he who persuaded the developer to go retro-trash (my refined characterization), and not the other way around! In fact, he said it was also the developer who originally had him put together the initial modern design (which by the way I saw – and it was stunning – proving once again that despite Lagrange’s best efforts to the contrary, he is by absolutely no means a talentless, copycat hack designer!!)
Ok. Show me a high-rise in 19th century Paris.
It nicely articulated and really more of what I think of on the north side. Glassy leaning towers congregrate south…Finely ornamented limestone and brick congregrate north.
This ain’t limestone, buddy.
Nice job, very elegant. Sad thing is, had a similar design like this been the proposed for Prairie Avenue, there would not have been a peep from anyone, only support. Is this guy Jeckle & Hide, because it seems he is saying here is what every one has been telling him about X/O…? X/O just does not belong where it is proposed, and I believe the sales and financial issues will bare this out in the long run. Reading in and between the lines, LaGrange is all but saying at 2520 is about putting a quality product to market, and X/O is about buying a ‘LaGrange brand’ for a cheaper building…gutless.
Too bad Museum Tower III and IV will decimate it’s weaker competition.
“LaGrange is all but saying at 2520 is about putting a quality product to market, and X/O is about buying a ‘LaGrange brand’ for a cheaper building”
How can you compare Lincoln Park (where new highrise buildings are rare) prices to the South Loop?
Jeff,
what’s Jeckle and Hide? Some morning radio duo? I though it was Jekyll and Hyde. I checked just to make sure. One typo like that is ok. Two makes me think you “no knot wat u speak off”.
Oops, I mean “know not what you speak of”. Sorry.
IP, thanks for the tip Chumbolone! If you are going to critique internet spelling, it helps to spell correctly as well. “though”?
Well you read John Kass. Like you he pulls 90 percent of his commentary outta his lower rear region.
As for the “though” that was intentional. Perhaps that portion of my sarcasm misfired. Unlike youse I dont claim to be allknowing and omniproficienct.
This reminds me of everything you see going up in Florida outside of Miami except that their version of retro trash has sand colored walls and a few red tile shingles at the very top. They call it Tuscan. Retro trash is very adaptable. In another region, they’d give it red brick, white trim, and maybe a bell tower, and voila, you’ve got colonial.
There are multiple conflicting versions of how this design was selected probably because no one wants to admit that this was a planned development micro managed by an ignorant bag of dirt known as the 43rd ward alderman, and the Rockford bred hayseed only likes vanilla.
^ “Rockford bred hayseed” That sounds like a great description for Jeff [REDACTED], or NIMBY buddy Tina Feldstein. Jeff – the above junk-design would belong on Prairie Ave. as much as you belong there (or anywhere in the South Loop for that matter) – not very much….
How much you want to bet that the mansard roof doesn’t get built that way (once they realize actual costs), much like recent downtown buildings with a similar design.
And once again, a half million balconys? These things continue to haunt me. I wonder in 10 years how many of them will be windowed in?
Here’s the deal. LaGrange had a moderately talented designer in his office that handled some of his so-so modern projects (believe me–he’s not getting the accolades described in the article above! Though he does a service to the Chicago architecture community, Blair Kamin isn’t really a nationally recognized voice in architectural criticism. He tends to gush over a lot of so-so buildings if they show any hint of a decent design, since that’s so rare in the Chicago market). Anyway, LaGrange’s “modernist” quit the firm a couple of years ago, but now he’s back. I truly believe that if it were up to LaGrange, all of his buildings would have tacky mansard roofs and frothy details. But he has a “modernist” or two on staff to take care of things if the client wants a contemporary design.
This project on Lakeview is just awful, and there is no way around it. The individual units may be nice, but the collective composition of the building is an utter disaster. What a mess!
The “architect” has taken a 1960’s concrete-brutalist building and plopped a faux Haussmanesque roof on it. Haussman buildings were grouped to create boulevards and were never much than 5-8 stories… This is not even as good as retro-trash, it’s just plain silly.
LaGrange continues to drag his open wallet through the streets of Chicago, leaving a wake of destruction in his path. Once LaGrange has ruined this city will he be spending his twilight years enjoying the beauty of St. Germain de Pres and the Cote d’Azur? Just a guess.
See the real deal….
Then feel free to weep for Chicago.
I really hope the exterior of this thing is at least limestone instead of pre-cast! It that thing is pre-cast, it’s going to be even more awful!
UptownR,
You’re really setting yourself up for a let down. How do you know it’s not going to be painted concrete? Although this is an unfortunate lost opportunity to do something memorable, I don’t mind it that much. It’s cheesey in a Las Vegas hotel kind of way. I just hope the geriatric buyers don’t get confused and make a habit of pointing their Mercury Marquises down the bike path.
I don’t think you will see many Mercurys on the bikepath from that building. Caddys and Lincolns perhaps.
Oooo, painted conrete would be even worse. Anyway, a source within LL confirmed to me that it is indeed pre-cast, so it will be that bland shade of tan concrete you see all over River North these days.
Now here’s the real kicker with this project, so listen up… Notice that no renderings published ANYWHERE ever show the base of the building… Why do you think that is? I’m bracing myself for a parking podium monstrosity!
It is not going to be pre-cast. It is going to be stone. They are going for LEED certification and the natural stone adds to the point total they are trying to achieve. There will be no parking podium either. They are planning to move the parking structure underground. Regardless, it was never planned to be a part of the building. They purchased a parking structure at the back of the site that was going to house the parking.
Stone? Yeah right. As I recall, only the base or first two floors would be clad in limestone. Everything else is either precast or painted concrete.
Drive by the site and look at the rendering on the sidewalk barriers… Once again, the base of the building is obscured. I was only speculating that this was to hide a parking podium, and I’m still suspicious about the base of this monster.
And, like I said, I heard directly from an LL insider that this thing is pre-cast. If it’s not, I’d love to see some proof! And while you’re at it, find some drawings of the base as well… What are they hiding???
Shouldn’t all of the details be available at the sales office? If they are looking for reservations on units, you should know if it will be painted concrete vs. stone. Entire building evelevations and a model should also be available to view…
paulj,
You’re being a spoilsport by suggesting that people actually gather facts and pay attention to them.
I have been to the sales center, seen the model and spoken to insiders on the development team. I am not sure of the percentage of stone that is going to be used so I will not speculate on that point. It is amazing that people are making judgments based on a drawing. Your insider told you that it was going to be pre-cast but could not say anything about the parking which has been planned since day one of the project? Are the Ritz, Elysian and 10 E. Delaware going to be painted concrete as well? This is not a River North vanilla box project. The developer is not Magellan.
I am obviously new to this blog. However, as Joe and Paul note, people need to gather a little more hard evidence before they speculate based on drawings. The sales center is open from 12-6.
it is a combination of Limestone and pre-cast stone.
I am new to this blog, however, i love it when uninformed people get together and critique things. The building is going to be a combination limestone and precast stone (not painted concrete). the parking is going to be underground. the private landscaped park is unsurpassed in chicago. To be LEED certified is a tribute to the developer. It is expensive to do and completely by choice. 2520 will be the most luxurious and timeless building constructed since the 1920’s. please visit the sales center if you would like to educate yourselves.
Knowmore or less?: “The most luxurious building since the 1920’s?” Not so much.
I am not a big fan, but have you been to 65 E. Goethe? All limestone, underground parking, mahogany windows, zinc roof, built in 2002 or so…. I think it may be nicer that a mega-block of pre-cast from hell you love so much.
What is precast stone?
pre-cast stone is a silly marketing name. stone is natural. “pre-cast stone” is concrete poured into molds. so it is like poured in place concrete but when you pour the concrete somewhere other than on site, you can call it “pre-cast stone.” you can fool most of the people most of the time. it is still concrete, plain and simple. real stone looks more beautiful every year. concrete looks worse as it ages, then the association has a special assesment for two years and they paint it taupe or greige every 3-5 years.
Do you know how much money the developer lost on 65 E. Goethe? That all comes with a heafty price tag that Chicagoians are unwilling to pay for… as of yet. If developers could get $2000+ per sq. ft. like ALL of N.Y. it would be a different story. You can’t build what you can’t sell.