One Grant Park rising up from the corner of Roosevelt and Indiana

Posted on June 6, 2017 by danieldschell

One Grant Park has begun making its push toward the sky in the South Loop.

One Grant Park has begun going vertical at the south end of Grant Park, and the corner of Roosevelt and Indiana will never be the same. The shiny 76-story, 792-unit apartment tower from Rafael Viñoly Architects is a busy site these days, and you know longer have to stand on tip-toes and peer over the fences to catch the action. In fact, you could pack a picnic and sit amongst those leg-statue thingies and watch McHugh Construction work whilst you dine in the park.

Catching up at Vista Tower

Posted on June 5, 2017 by danieldschell

Vista Tower continues to rise.

It’s been a month since we took a look at progress on Vista Tower, the magnificent supertall by Studio Gang and bKL Architecture. You may think workers would be discouraged that I haven’t been dropping by daily, but McHugh Construction crews seem to be getting a lot done despite my absence. Certainly not because of it.

Anyway, I’ll need to borrow some balconies soon, for as Vista climbs higher, our scenic views from Wacker Drive and Lakeshore East are going to be well below where the action is.

The Simpson-Querrey Center shows off its curves

Posted on June 5, 2017 by danieldschell

Gorgeous curves on the north elevation of the Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center.

The two cores got off to a big lead at the Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center but now the ironwork is making a move, gaining ground on the concrete towers.

The south elevation of the Simpson Querrey Center gets all the sunlight and attention, but around back along Superior Street, the curvy steel cuts quite the striking figure. It’s definitely worth watching this one from the south and the north. Of course, as is usually the case with most high-rise construction projects, do it on a sunny day. Remember, this phase of the Perkins+Will design will be 14 stories high.

1326 South Michigan rings in summer with more H-Pile driving

Posted on June 5, 2017 by danieldschell

Yeah, it’s loud. If you’re anywhere near the South Loop, you probably realize that already.

Stalworth Underground continues driving the 360 H-Piles into the ground that will support the weight of 1326 South Michigan. This one can’t have caissons; the soil just isn’t meant for that type of foundation. Those H-piles will do the work instead. 46-story residential towers are heavy, apparently.

: Even the moon can hear it.

: Rig and crane.

: A few in the ground…

: …and a few soon to be.

Chicago Tower Crane Survey: John Hancock Center Edition

Posted on June 2, 2017 by danieldschell

Looking up to my host, 360 Chicago at the John Hancock Center.

A sunny-day excursion up to 360Chicago reveals most of Chicago’s 33 tower cranes, including all those I missed from the Sears Tower, where we conducted our most recent comprehensive search. Sorry, there are some really bad photos here. Doesn’t change the fact that being 94 stories in the air is a pretty darn cool way to spend an hour or two.

Unavailable for the team photo were: Eight Eleven Uptown, The Apple Store, Ancora At Riverline, Alta Roosevelt, and Hilton McCormick Place. And maybe No. 508, if it’s up.

: Hotel Zachary (right) and Addison & Clark (left)

: Elevate Lincoln Park (yellow) and DePaul School of Music (red)

: Atrium Village

: Wicker Park Connection

: No. 9 Walton

: Simpson-Querrey Center

: One Bennett Park

: 465 North Park

: 8 East Huron (Had to be patient to catch a glimpse of this one.)

: Hubbard221 and 412 North Wells

: Moxy Hotel

: Vista Tower

: McDonald’s Headquarters

: One South Halsted (yellow) and Illume Chicago

: 625 West Adams

: One Grant Park

: One Grant Park and a 1411 South Michigan photobomb

: 1101 South Wabash (left) and 1136 South Wabash (right, yellow)

: Solstice on The Park

: Honorable Mention: The stub for Marlowe’s tower crane had just been planted just on the other side of 676 North LaSalle. You can see the street crane.

There’s a new tower crane stub in town, and her name is Marlowe

Posted on June 2, 2017 by danieldschell

Hey, look over there! Marlowe planted a tower crane!

About a week after receiving a tower crane permit from the City of Chicago, Marlowe planted a stub at 675 North Wells Street in River North on Thursday. Having recently lost cranes at 640 North Wells, The Gallery On Wells, and 3Eleven, the neighborhood needed a burst of excitement, and what’s more fun than a new tower crane?

https://twitter.com/adjustableforms/status/870320994413666306

See? Don’t believe for a second I’m the only one out here excited about tower cranes. Adjustable Forms knows what’s up.

Now the Antunovich Associates-designed 15-story, 176-unit apartment building from Lennar Multifamily Companies can start going skyward, under the careful direction of Power Construction.

: Wow, 676 N LaSalle is gutted.

: The Permit.

Throwback Thursday: 20 Tower Cranes of London

Posted on June 1, 2017 by danieldschell

First off, let me assure you I didn’t spend all our time in London taking pictures of tower cranes and construction sites. That would have been a wasted opportunity to see the English countryside and historic buildings. But I like the cranes, so I didn’t ignore them, either.

I make much of the tower cranes in Chicago. We have a lot. 32.5 at the moment, now that No. 508 is being erected. But London? That city has tower cranes. And if you think the counts are close, let me illustrate the gap by showing you two construction projects, with a total of 20 tower cranes between them.

Battersea Power Station

“Massive” is a popular word in England. I heard it to describe a multitude of things. It’s also become somewhat click-baity here in the States. But this Battersea Power Station redevelopment can be described in no other way. It is indeed massive. It will include architecture by Foster + Partners, Gehry Partners, and more. Features will include an elevator up to an observation deck within one of four existing smoke stacks, and the restoration of two old maritime cranes. Ten tower cranes *and* they’re restoring the two Thames-side cranes? Amazing.

Want to know more? (SPOILER ALERT: You do.) Please click this link to learn more about Battersea Power Station.

: A cool model of Battersea Power Station on the construction site.

: From across the Thames. Do you see 10 tower cranes?

: Crane close-up.

Southbank Place

Like the Battersea project, Southbank Place centers around an existing building, this one being the Shell Centre tower. The 27-story building will soon be surrounded by seven more towers, five of which will be residential, with the remaining two serving as offices. Five different architecture firms are contributing designs to this development. Which is, to be honest, also massive. But duh. Why else would it need TEN TOWER CRANES.

I will not attempt to explain any further, as there is too much to know. Click this link to learn more about Southbank Place.

: Shell Centre, surrounded by 10 (maybe 11?) tower cranes.

: Southbank Place sits just behind the London Eye.

: Crane cluster.

Tower Crane #33 is almost ready to lift heavy stuff at No. 508

Posted on June 1, 2017 by danieldschell

Sorry, we’re building a tower crane here. Please go around.

If you’re wondering why you can’t drive on West Diversey Parkway between Pine Grove and Cambridge Avenues in Lake View, welcome to the world of tower cranes. The street is blocked so crews can utilize a pretty red Stevenson crane to assemble a tower crane at No. 508. They’ve been at it since Tuesday, so hopefully work will be completed by the end of the day Thursday. Then, and only then, can Macon Construction Group begin going vertical on Broder Properties’ 12-story, 53-unit apartment tower.