Eight Eleven Uptown brings the pane

Posted on November 28, 2017 by danieldschell

Curtain wall installation has begun at Eight Eleven Uptown.

Lots of progress has been made at Eight Eleven Uptown. Not just in height, which appears to have reached a dozen or so floors. But also in glass. A walk around Lendlease’s construction site Monday revealed two levels of curtain wall installed on Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture’s 27-story apartment tower.

Eight Eleven Uptown is comprised of 381 rental units and nearly 300 parking spaces. Many of those parking spots will be used for the Treasure Island food store to be included in the 36,000 square feet of planned commercial space.

Riverline After Dark, Ancora Edition

Posted on November 24, 2017 by danieldschell

When I snapped a bunch of South Loop construction photos a few nights ago, I failed to wander far enough to include Ancora at Riverline in the mix. And the guilt got to me. So, to make it up to Ancora, it gets ts own gallery.

Hey neighbor! Pappageorge Haymes hangs a shingle at the South Loop Hilton Homewood Suites

Posted on November 21, 2017 by danieldschell

Hilton Garden Inn Hilton Homewood Suites South Loop

Pappageorge has designed new space at 1101 South Wabash for a Hilton Garden Inn.

This was a surprise.

Well into construction of the Hilton Homewood Suites just around the corner from the B.U.C. HQ at 1101 South Wabash in the South Loop, Pappageorge Haymes has gotten involved in the project, as evidenced by their new banner hanging on the construction barrier.

Pappageorge Haymes tells us they came on board to design a new portion of the project for a Hilton Garden Inn component, which will now be co-branded with Hilton Homewood Suites. While the tower is still slated to rise to 30 stories, there may have been an increase in the room count, which has now grown to 342 per PH, up from 281 which we had previously reported.

In the meantime, Lendlease continues upward progress on the hotel tower at the corner of 11th and Wabash. The seventh floor is poured, and the eight floor deck is approaching the halfway point.

Shout-out to Michael and Jason at Columbia College, who arranged for me to go upstairs at 1104 South Wabash to get the overhead shots you see in the gallery.

: Tuesday is Hoist Day.

: The Climb.

Catching up with The Van Buren’s neglected tower crane

Posted on November 16, 2017 by danieldschell

The tower crane at The Van Buren is the 58th erected in Chicago this year.

The tower crane at The Van Buren (808 West Van Buren in the West Loop) was the 58th crane of 2017 erected in Chicago when Lendlease assembled it last month. However, I’ve done a poor job of getting over there for a good look, so allow me to share a few photos of #58 with you now. Sorry, but the sun has also done a poor job of showing up while I’m near this site.

While we’re at it, we might as well remind you that The Van Buren is a 12-story, 148-unit apartment building from Loukas Development, designed by bKL Architecture.

: Crane and tank, from North Halsted.

: From Taylor Street.

The glass is full at 1407 On Michigan

Posted on November 10, 2017 by danieldschell

The podium needs some glass, but the residential windows are to the top of 1407 On Michigan.

Save for a few exceptions, where construction hoists get in the way, the curtain wall has risen to the top of the 15-story 1407 On Michigan, Russland Capital Group’s South Loop apartment tower at 1411 South Michigan Avenue.

There’s still some podium work left for Lendlease to do on the BKV Group-designed building, but the bulk of energy on this one is now focused on getting the 199 apartments ready for residents to move in. We’re still looking at the end of the year for that goal, and having all those windows up should certainly help interior work to be a little more pleasant.

: All glassed up.

: North elevation.

: South elevation.

: Lots of pallets of something have been used on the interiors.

: When the hoist comes down…

: …the rest of the glass can go in.

First row of glorious glass has been installed on Ancora at Riverline

Posted on November 10, 2017 by danieldschell

That’s some good-looking glass across the river at Ancora.

Ancora, the Phase One tower of CMK Companies‘ Riverline development in the South Loop, has reached another milestone, as the first level of glass stretches around the exterior. That would be the 7th floor of Perkins+Will’s 29-story, 452-unit design. Overall, co-developer and general contractor Lendlease has the tower at or near the 23rd floor. It’s hard to tell with all that orange wrapping and yellow formwork, but those materials are worth the obstructed view when the setting sunlight hits it.

The Phase Two tower was initially reported to be called “Current,” an 18-story tower with 251 condominiums and 28 townhomes. But the Riverline website no longer includes information about that building.

Not of One Bennett Park, but from One Bennett Park!

Posted on November 9, 2017 by danieldschell

These photos were sent to me by Nick, one of the tower crane operators over (at) One Bennett Park. They provide further proof that some of the best views in Chicago — some of the best views in *any* city around the world — are enjoyed by the men and women in hard hats who climb the stairs and ride the hoists to work every day.

Thanks for these, Nick!

: Sunrise over Lake Michigan.

: Nick, at night.

: Cloudy Chicago.

Quick Look: One Bennett Park walk-around

Posted on November 6, 2017 by danieldschell

Sometimes I just stare at this one. So pretty. Enjoy One Bennett Park’s progress as of October 31.

Lendlease rolls a Lucky Seven at Darling Square in Sydney’s Darling Harbour

Posted on October 31, 2017 by danieldschell

Spotted from the Sydney Tower Eye: The Seven Tower Cranes of Darling Square, by Lendlease.

Please know for certain that I didn’t see every construction project in Australia. Come on. Two weeks? Just not enough time. But of what I saw, this one easily takes the award for Most Tower Cranes.

Darling Square is a mixed-use project being developed and built by Lendlease. Located along Sydney’s famed Darling Harbour, Darling Square will be comprised of many, many parts. So many parts, in fact, that I don’t know if I’ve got them all straight. The main portion of the development will have three towers of 41, 19, and 7 stories, and a 6-story podium, per design architects Tzannes Associates. There will be 581 apartments located here.

Rendering of The Darling Exchange from Kengo Kuma and Associates.

Darling Square will also include a public square, designed by Aspect Studios; a community hub called The Darling Exchange, designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates; and two retail pavilions designed by Archer Office. No wonder they need 7 tower cranes on the site.

And if all that doesn’t sound like enough of a task, Darling Square necessitated the demolition of a 13,000-seat stadium, Qantas Credit Union Arena (previously known as The Sydney Entertainment Centre) in order to clear space for the project.

Whether you’ve been able to process all of that info or not, here comes the photo gallery:

Construction Progress: Hilton Homewood Suites is all 3-D

Posted on October 10, 2017 by danieldschell

The 30-story Hilton Homewood Suites at 1101 South Wabash, somewhat slow to get out of the ground, is starting to shoot upwards. Credit Lendlease for the progress on the hotel, which is scheduled to open late next year.