Chicago’s multi-tower-crane jobs are disappearing fast

Posted on July 1, 2018 by danieldschell

Wait…what? pic.twitter.com/3OKkIsD7Hs

— Building Up Chicago 🏗 (@BuildUpChicago) June 30, 2018

A matter of mere days after I’d finally come to grips with no longer having two tower cranes at the new McDonald’s Headquarters in the West Loop, word came that the East Crane at Vista Tower was coming down. I made the pilgrimage over to Streeterville to take a few shots from across the Chicago River, turned to look behind me, and what else do I see? One tower crane at One Bennett Park! I appreciate everyone’s progress here, but noooooooo!

We’re counting on you to never finish, The Lincoln Common!

Vista Tower’s East Tower Crane is at half-mast.

What’s funny is, I took this photo earlier Saturday morning for the single crane at Vista Tower, not noticing the half a crane atop One Bennett Park.

Now seems like as good a time as any to revisit and celebrate the TEN TOWER CRANES(!) of Battersea Power Station in London, and the 5-pack of cranes at Jewel Residences in Gold Coast, Australia.

Please never leave us, Lincoln Common tower cranes! (Announcer voice: The Lincoln Common is almost topped out, so….)

May at the topped out and dazzling One Bennett Park

Posted on June 6, 2018 by danieldschell

One Bennett Park, seen from the Adler Planetarium.

Admittedly, I often lose interest in new construction once the tower crane comes down. Not just because I’m obsessed with tower cranes, but because when the crane comes down, it signals the end of visible work from the exterior of a building.

There are also those projects that rise so high, it’s hard to see what’s going on, even when they *do* still have their cranes. Case in point: One Bennett Park in Streeterville. I have been neglecting this magnificent tower lately on this blog. I’ve still been taking photos of it, but it’s hard to mark progress on a tower as tall, and as close to completion, as One Bennett Park.

The following gallery represents random pictures taken throughout the month of May, from close-up, far away, and in between. One Bennett Park has an amazing presence already from Adler Planetarium; that’s my favorite view. (I’ve yet to see it from the lake; boats aren’t really my thing.) Enjoy.

: From the cheap seats at Wrigley Field.

One Bennett Park nears the top

Posted on December 11, 2017 by danieldschell

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One Bennett Park is in the final stretch! Floor 65 was poured this week, only five floors remain until the tower tops off. #OneBennettPark @ramsarchitects @danlobitz

A post shared by One Bennett Park (@onebennettpark) on Dec 8, 2017 at 9:55am PST

With that Instagram photo, One Bennett Park posted a selfie and announced last week that Lendlease crews have reached to within five floors of topping out the 69-story residential tower.

The Related Midwest project is combined design of Robert A.M. Stern Architects and GREC Architects, bringing a mix of 348 apartments and condominiums to the Streeterville neighborhood. Completion is scheduled for 2019 move-ins, so there’s still a lot of work to be done. But topping out soon will be a big milestone, even if it means the beginning of the end for One Bennett Park’s two pretty, yellow tower cranes.

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.

One Bennett Park shines in the dark

Posted on September 18, 2017 by danieldschell

Remember when we last visited One Bennett Park? Of course you do, because it was just last week. But that was during the day. (A sunny day; the best kind of day to see it.) This time, let’s check it out at night, which, before we know it, will be at about 4:30.

Sorry, I just depressed myself. Yay, Chicago winters.

One Bennett Park turns 50

Posted on September 15, 2017 by danieldschell

From Grant Park, you can see the growth of One Bennett Park, now 50/69ths of the way up.

Related Midwest announced this week that One Bennett Park, their 69-story residential tower underway in the Streeterville neighborhood, has reached the 50th floor, nearly three-quarters of the way to its ultimate 69-story height. Chicago Architecture Blog had the press release yesterday.

One Bennett has been a marvel to watch, with all that yellow form work and blue wrapping. Dual tower cranes doesn’t hurt its curb appeal either. The joint design of Robert A.M. Stern Architects and GREC Architects brings a mix of 348 apartments and condominiums to town, slated to be ready for the moving vans in 2019, plus a new public park (Bennett Park, of course.)

As appears to be today’s theme, Lendlease is the general contractor on this project.

And now, some distant views of One Bennett Park’s 50 floors of progress:

: A view from Goose Island.

: One Bennett’s 2 tower cranes, with 1 of Vista Tower’s in the way.

BREAKING NEWS: One Bennett Park keeps growing taller

Posted on August 7, 2017 by danieldschell

Staring up at the two tower cranes atop Streeterville’s One Bennett Park.

Maybe file this one in the “not surprising news” column, because if there’s one thing you can count on with 69-story towers, it’s that they’ll grow high.

One Bennett Park continues to do just that in Streeterville. How do I know? There are two tell-tale signs of tall buildings. First, the more it hurts your neck to see the top, the taller they are. Second, if most of your progress photos have to be in portrait mode instead of landscape, then you’re looking at a relatively tall building. It’s science.

Higher and higher goes One Bennett Park

Posted on June 7, 2017 by danieldschell

One Bennett Park podium and tower, from (partially) above.

One Bennett Park, the mixed condo-and-apartment skyscraper from Related Midwest, continues its rise into the clouds above the Streeterville neighborhood. The two-crane masterpiece by Robert A.M. Stern Architects and GREC Architects is approaching the 30th floor, on its way to 69 stories and 348 units. That’s Lendlease out there getting all that work done.

Bennett Park will be a thing in its own right, but there’s just too much construction going on with the tower for the park to have started looking like a park yet. Unless you mean a place to park construction equipment and material. Then yes, it’s a park. All in good time, though: One Bennett Park isn’t expected to open until 2019.

: Sweet reflection in 500 Lake Shore Drive.

: This will be Bennett Park in the future.

One Bennett Park, Two Tower Cranes

Posted on April 10, 2017 by danieldschell

There they are! The two tower cranes of One Bennett Park.

A little over a week ago, One Bennett Park finally added to the tower crane stub that’s been planted on the west side of the growing tower for months. And now, I can confirm that second tower crane, West Crane, if you will, is up and running on Grand Avenue in Streeterville. Running and lifting.

One Bennett Park joins the Simpson-Querrey Biomedical Research Center, also in Streeterville, Wanda Vista Tower on the New East Side, and the West Loop’s McDonald’s Headquarters in the Two-Crane Club.