Just a few years ago, hardwood floors, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances were luxury items. Now they’ve become less-than-thrilling checklist items for new-home shoppers. To edge ahead of the pack, and imbue their projects with an air of exclusivity and high style, Chicago’s ultra-luxury developments come tricked out with a whole new level of fancy finishes. New Homes Magazine contributing writer Elizabeth Blackwell elaborates in the current issue:
The crowd trailing Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava through the 18th floor of NBC Tower stopped at an unusual display: a pair of open-mouthed human heads crafted from bronze, one male and one female.
The custom creations were destined not for an art gallery or a science exhibit but for lobby doors – as a hefty pair of doorknobs residents and visitors will grasp to enter the planned Chicago Spire, the 150-story condo tower Calatrava designed for 420 E North Water St, in Streeterville. The Shelbourne Development Ltd project is planned to be the tallest building in the nation and the tallest all-residential building in the world.
Not only did Calatrava design the exterior of the spiraling 150-story structure, variously compared to a drill bit, a corkscrew and a portion of the male anatomy, he’s also putting his distinctive stamp on the 1,193 condos inside. In September, he showed a group of reporters and photographers some of his signature flourishes, such as door handles shaped like seashells, or molded from his own grip, trapezoidal windows and herringbone-patterned hardwood floors. The sleeping area in a studio apartment, or “suite,” is tucked inside a circular frosted-glass enclosure with a sliding door – a futuristic pod that would look right at home in an episode of The Jetsons.
In October, the 20,000-square-foot sales center in NBC Tower, 455 N Cityfront Plaza Drive, was scheduled to open in mid-January 2008. The Spire interiors are hardly typical of ultra-luxury developments in Chicago, where model homes tend to focus on exclusive brand names and designs that are opulent but have broad appeal.
Read the full story at New Homes Magazine online.