Stuff That’s Done That I Kept Forgetting To Take Photos Of: University of Chicago Campus North Residential Commons

Jeanne Gang’s Aqua

There was a time when the only building I took photos of was Aqua. It was the first tower I really fell in love with, and it gave me an immediate appreciation of Jeanne Gang’s work at Studio Gang.

As you may know, I’ve taken a few of The Residences at the St. Regis (formerly Vista Tower) too. And Solstice on the Park down in Hyde Park. But as many times as I went down to Hyde Park for Solstice, I kept forgetting to swing by the University of Chicago Campus North Residential Commons. Until now.

Something about the coloring of this development. Standing in front of it, it looks like a rendering.

Studio Gang towers in San Francisco, Brooklyn, and St. Louis are next on my visiting agenda.

Stuff That’s Done: Solstice On The Park

Solstice On The Park, from the park.

The last time I visited Solstice On The Park, it was *almost* done. That was close to a year ago. Now, it’s finished, and being lived in. And still very very cool. I’ll attempt to prove that opinion with the two dozen photos included below.

The basics about Solstice On The Park:

Design Architect – Studio Gang

Developer – Mac Properties

Builder – Linn-Mathes

26 stories, 250 apartments, stunning views from, and of, Hyde Park.

 

Stuff That’s Done: 5252 South Cornell shines in Hyde Park

5252, from the 55th Street Metra Electric Line platform, was made for sunny days.

5252

I like that. Just numbers. 5252.

That’s the name of the recently-opened apartment tower at 5252 South Cornell in Hyde Park. This is a development by Mac Properties, the same folks responsible for bringing Solstice on the Park to this neighborhood. The two of them make a striking pair.

Linn-Mathes was the general contractor on 5252, just as they were on Solstice. Solomon Cordwell Buenz was the design architect, and I want to hi-five everyone there for this one. I lucked out and got here on a sunny day — I know, a sunny day in Chicago, right? — and the building looks fantastic in the sunlight.

The 26-story building contains 246 apartments, from studios to three-bedroom units. 5252 opened in Fall 2019.

 

 

Touch ‘em all, Jeanne: Studio Gang knocks another one out of the…well, you know…

Solstice on the Park May 2018

From the Solstice on the Park website, this is the view from high up in the tower, facing north. It is beyond stunning.

Last week’s visit to Hyde Park to check out the new tower crane at 5252 South Cornell provided another chance to check on progress at Solstice On The Park, the 27-story, 250-unit apartment tower designed by Jeanne Gang at Studio Gang. I’m a sucker for this building, especially on sunny days with blue skies as a backdrop. I wasn’t disappointed. The angles, the glass, the lines. It all works.

General contractor Linn-Mathes looks to be putting the finishing touches on the tower. The view shown above is still available for rent, just so you know.

 

Chicago’s newest and southernmost tower crane is up at 5252 South Cornell

5252 South Cornell tower crane

Chicago’s southernmost tower crane has risen at 5252 South Cornell in Hyde Park.

Earlier this week, we published our Chicago Tower Crane Survey for May 2018, where we noted that a crane at 5252 South Cornell (this thing needs a name) would be erected very soon. As it turns out, very soon was retroactive. A visit Thursday to Hyde Park showed a new, shiny red tower crane atop the construction site, which is where Linn-Mathes is building a 26-story apartment building for Mac Properties. Designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz, the tower will deliver 246 new apartments to the Hyde Park neighborhood, atop four levels of parking.

It’s Foundation Time at 5252 South Cornell in Hyde Park

There are bright yellow Case Foundation rigs at the corner of 53rd Street and Cornell Avenue in Hyde Park, and you know that must mean foundation work is about to begin at 5252 South Cornell. Curbed Chicago had all the info you need to know about this 26-story tower getting started back in March. But we’ve gleaned from the foundation permit that we can expect 246 apartments atop a four-level parking podium.

Linn-Mathes, the general contractor on 5252 South Cornell, is putting the finishing touches on Solstice on the Park just three blocks to the south of this latest project, so that should be a nice, easy transition for construction crews.

Solstice on the Park nears the finish line

Solstice on the Park March 2018

As this Metra Electric train pulls into the station, so too Solstice on the Park is soon to arrive.

A Spring opening appears imminent for Solstice on the Park, the Studio Gang-designed residential tower in Hyde Park. And since that was the plan all along, the timing is perfect.

The foundation permit for Solstice on the Park was issued back in October of 2016, allowing Linn-Mathes to start building atop what was previously a surface parking lot, with one level of parking underground. That lot is but a distant memory now.

Developer Antheus Capital has about 250 apartments available within the tower. The B.U.C. is eyeing up one of those three-bedroom, south-facing units, with views of Lake Michigan and Jackson Park. We figure we’ll turn one of those bedrooms into an office, just as soon as we do a thorough check through the sofa cushions and honor-box snack station for spare change.

And now, a whole mess of photos of the finished-looking Solstice on the Park residential tower. Congratulations, Hyde Park. This one’s a gem!

Pictures from Solstice On The Park as the tower crane comes down

Solstice On The Park tower crane removal

Local 63 Ironworker Nick Barwegen gets up close and personal with the tower crane at Solstice On The Park.

Local 63 Ironworker Nick Barwegen sent over some stellar photos from Solstice On The Park this morning, as Chicago’s south-most tower crane is being lowered to the ground. Sad as it is to see it come down, it sure does make for a cool photo-op.

Thanks, Nick!

It’s a tower-crane wash, as Chicago puts one up (Nobu Hotel) and takes one down (Solstice On The Park)

Nobu Hotel Chicago tower crane

Say hello to the tower crane at the Nobu Hotel Chicago…

For a brief moment, while it was still dark Monday morning, Chicago had 31 tower cranes in operation across the city.

Centaur Construction completed assembly of their tower crane at the Nobu Hotel Chicago site over the weekend. But word came from a Little Birdie Friend last week that today would be the beginning of the end for the tower crane at Solstice On The Park, as Linn-Mathes and Adjustable Forms begin taking theirs down from the Hyde Park skyline.

So if you’re doing the math at home, this equation’s pretty simple: 30 + 1 – 1 = 30.

Solstice On The Park tower crane

…And say goodbye to the tower crane at Solstice On The Park, as it comes down this week.

 

Solstice On The Park tops out, puts on new glasses

Solstice On The Park, the 27-story residential tower in Hyde Park, topped on on Monday, according to a tweet to us from Studio Gang. Also on Monday, Studio Gang also shared a photo on its LinkedIn page showing some pretty impressive glass panels being installed on the ground floor. What does one do when there’s new glass to be seen? One heads down the Metra Electric Line and has a look for oneself.

Solstice On The Park glass

Glass installation at Solstice On The Park, from Studio Gang’s LinkedIn post.

Congratulations to Studio Gang, Linn-Mathes, Antheus Capital, Mac Properties, heck, to all of Hyde Park on the topping out! It looks like Chicago’s south-most tower crane is in danger of disappearing soon, but that’s the price of progress.