It’s been so long since we’ve dished on the design of a new high-rise that I couldn’t help but snap these pics during my lunch break. I know it seems like we just talked about Flair Tower, but that was before crews trucked in several pre-molded brick-and-concrete panels and turned the eastern end of the tower’s parking deck into an imitation of a four-story River North loft building.
The red brick facade doesn’t match the rest of the parking deck, which uses a couple of shades of molded concrete to mimic a stone brick face topped with a cornice. Presumably the loft look on the eastern end serves as a transition from the tower down to the three-story Flair House at 214 W Erie St.
Judging from the latest rendering by architecture firm Antunovich Associates, the top of the “loft” will serve as Flair Tower’s sundeck, complete with pool, gazebo, and greenery.
What do you think? Is the faux-loft exterior the right move, given Flair Tower’s location, or do you prefer consistency in your parking decks?
I think it was a good move. It will look better than the rest of the parking podium and adds more diversity to the streetscape.
I saw this yesterday from the EL, it looks cheap and horrible.