Chitownproperty

The New York Times has a feature today on two highly-anticipated developments in Chicago, the Fordham Spire and 600 North Fairbanks, designed by “starchitects” who are continuing the city’s tradition of ambitous design.

Yesterday, city aldermen approved project plans for the Fordham Spire, a 2,000-foot residential and hotel tower designed by architect Santiago Calatrava that will become the country’s tallest building. Although originally met with skepticism, the project, which will be built at 420 E. North Water Street in Streeterville, sailed through the city council on a [...]

The first sprouts of the new Trump Tower have emerged from the construction site, and the Tribune’s architecture critic Blair Kamin says that while the thought of a new skyscraper is exciting, it’s also a little scary:

The first structural columns for the 92-story hotel-condo tower have popped above Wabash Avenue and, all of a sudden, [...]

Has this been a bad year for architecture in the Chicago area? Chicagoist thinks so, and a number of recent examples support that conclusion. Last week the famous Pilgrim Baptist Church burned to the ground, the Frank Lloyd Wright Wynant House in Gary was gutted by fired, the beautiful though neglected Artful Dodger [...]

Mayor Daley’s plan for a riverwalk along Wacker Drive–envisioned as a $40-50 million dollar project featuring over 35,000 square feet of restaurants, retail, and dock space–is progressing a little more slowly. The city hasn’t been able to secure all that funding, nor has it found a single developer to do the job as it [...]

Rogers Park Manor on the North Side has been added to the bungalow districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places, making it the fourth such neighborhood in Chicago. Homeowners in the neighborhood benefit from added prestige, and can also now apply for an 8-year property tax freeze if they are completing major home [...]

A couple who planned to convert a 76-year old schoolhouse in Hoffman Estates into a residence has run out of patience. The village had awarded them the schoolhouse under the condition that they preserve its exterior, but they blame bureaucracy and red tape for holding up the project. No renovations were ever [...]

Sun-Times architecture critic Kevin Nance takes a look at the new Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago, located in Glenview. The museum’s angular, playful, and modern exterior stands out amidst a conformist planned urban development, defying the rest of the area’s artificial New Urbanism.

Faced with the challenge of basically rebuilding a city from scratch, New Orleans city planners must decide how to do it. Do they try to create a contrived postcard image of the nostalgic Big Easy before Katrina, or build fast, putting up conformist buildings that run the risk of becoming this century’s housing projects?

The mayor may or may not be moving there, but the Heritage at Millenium Park still commands attention from its location on Michigan Avenue across from its namesake park. Although Mayor Daley hasn’t disputed reports that he and his wife are moving there, the condo building’s management is staying mum.
The Chicago Tribune’s architecture critic [...]