Chicago Architecture Center’s Post

Betting against Los Angeles seemed like a safe bet. - Huge Urban Sprawl - Sub-Par Public Transit - Completely inane development restrictions/costs But money keeps pouring in. - Expo Park Renovation, Sofi Stadium, George Lucas Museum - LAX Expansion & Transit Connection - Warner Bro's Studio Campus (900,000+ SF) + 3 More Planned Studio Campuses - World Cup 2026 and Summer Olympics 2028 Gensler has been the closest to these redevelopments and identified improvements to public transit and expansion of Pasadena into the Life Science Hub of Cal Tech & The Jet Propulsion Lab. They even invested in major office space in DTLA. Our clients often share the same fear that the area's costs and development hurdles are too high. But we have been advising these trends since early 2022 and those who are "greedy when others are fearful" have and will be the ones who come out with once-in-a-generation opportunities. We provide this level of foresight in planning and will continue to advise where we unravel the complex and create opportunities for our partners. #LosAngeles #Development #Investment https://lnkd.in/gANAQf-8

How do you create a unified master plan design navigating various property interests?🤔 At the heart of Orange County lies the Civic Center in Santa Ana, surrounded by a rich and diverse history. However, the Civic Center itself, with its mix of city, county, state, and federal properties, presents a unique challenge due to complex ownership arrangements. TCA was tasked with delineating a vision to leverage underutilized land and create a harmonized concept for the center of the Civic Center, resulting in a concept centered around a centralized plaza/park, serving as a focal point for all Civic Center uses. 🌳 🚴♀️ 🗺️ #masterplanning #design #concept

Developers of the proposed megadevelopment surrounding United Center are rolling out more specifics. The privately funded 1901 Project, as it's been dubbed, will be delivered in several phases through 2040. Phase one, completing in 2028, features the main entertainment and recreational pieces designed by RIOS with landscape architect Field Operations: a 6,000 seat music hall, a 233-room hotel, and a park-topped parking garage. It would be nice to have the parking below ground and the green space at-grade, but cost is a likely deterrent. Later phases skew residential, with nearly 10,000 new homes filling in long-vacant lots. The plan carries an expectation that the City will construct a new Pink Line station at Monroe. We certainly hope this comes true! The Chicago Plan Commission weighs in on the proposal later this week. More details: https://lnkd.in/gPDGV7yd #megadevelopment #1901Project #UnitedCenter #NearWestSide #CTA 📸: Rendering by RIOS/Proloog

Building the Future, Honoring the Past. At CIRCLE WEST ARCHITECTS, every building tells a story. With our talented design teams, we do not just design structures, we craft environments where history and innovation meet. Imagine walking through a space where every detail is a testament to thoughtful design, where the lines between past and future are expressed purposefully. This is the kind of magic we bring to every project, whether it is breathing new life into a historic building or shaping the skyline with modern marvels. Our architecture does not just fill space, it defines it. It speaks of care, precision, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. We believe every brick, every pane of glass, has a role in telling your story, one of vision, value, and enduring beauty. Trust CIRCLE WEST ARCHITECTS to turn your real estate into more than just a property. We will help you sustain a legacy that stands the test of time. Let's build something extraordinary together.

Sometimes your limitations can be your strengths. Sometimes the old can be the new. Sometimes the challenge is the solution. One of these examples in my work came in the form of an old power pole. In 2014, Runway Group was working on an adaptive reuse project in downtown #Bentonville at the site of a former lumber yard. On the site there was a 63-foot tall pole that was an eye sore and in the way of future plans. The pole was giant and "grandfathered" into the building so in my mind it had trapped value as something other than just a pole, but what could it be? The idea for the redevelopment was to have a multi-tenant space that would ultimately house multiple hospitality and retail offerings. The building was just far enough from the town square that we feared customers wouldn't consider it part of the growing downtown scene. What could we do? Insert creativity I lobbied to keep the pole and turn it into a beacon for the project. With 63 feet of space, it certainly could stand out and if done right be an icon for the development to rally around. This led me to engage with local artist Dayton Castleman to create a concept using the pole. This ultimately led to the creation of the "Three Feathers" neon arrow. The project was one of the first public art pieces and ushered in a whole new era of iconic neon pieces that the town is becoming known for. The old pole acted as a catalyst for reimagining what could be, and in turn, encapsulated the very core of the project's adaptive reuse vision of taking the old and forgotten and turning it into the new and the unforgettable.

🌟 Chicago’s Mag Mile needs a new vision, and here's a bold idea: let's transform it into a pedestrian-friendly haven and rebrand it as the Magnificent Tech Mile! 🚶♂️🌆 With the innovative design study by Gensler, which emphasizes pedestrian spaces over cars, we can turn Michigan Avenue into a world-class global promenade. Imagine a vibrant, tech-focused hub that attracts companies to Streeterville, Mag Mile, and surrounding areas, filling empty office and commercial spaces with innovation and energy. One of the standout proposals is a curving pedestrian bridge, seamlessly connecting a revamped park near the Drake to an elevated viewpoint of Michigan Avenue and onwards to the lakefront. This would provide a beautiful, cohesive experience for residents and visitors alike. Chicago is one of the best cities in the world to live in, and with a little makeover and support from local politicians, it can reclaim its glory. Let's root for Chicago to become the epicenter of tech and urban innovation! And, of course, go Cubs! ⚾️🏙️ #MagMile #ChicagoInnovation #PedestrianFriendly #TechHub #UrbanRevitalization #Streeterville #MichiganAvenue #UrbanDesign #GoCubs #ChicagoTransformation #GenslerDesign #CityMakeover #EmptySpaces #TechRelocation #ChicagoTechHub

The Amsterdam development is the typical way to break open an urban area and townscape that should be protected by city codes, but is not. Urban areas that give form to the sole and culture of the city. Too much history is already lost in the need to go big. Atlanta will face big challenges in growth, but should be careful in its developments. The piedmont park / VH / Morningside area is unique since it forms the typical Atlanta plot structure character of single homes in a very green environment. Atlanta : the city in the woods, the green canopy. Large developments should be avoided in that area, since it will destroy in the end that historically grown small scale Atlanta characteristics. Architects should be aware of that. And it also destroys the original idea of the beltline. Recreate at human scale in a green small scale path, fhe green and bohemian (small scale pedestrian) corridor through the city. https://chng.it/LssWtLdYPC

"Have you ever wondered why does New York City have two completely different layouts? This is Houston Street [linha amarela horizontal] and above this street, it´s all clean grid, where streets are numbered from first to 220th and avenues run neatly from first to 12th. But below Houston Street, it feels like stepping into a different world entirely. Streets have names, like Canal Street and Battery Place, winding with Twist and turn without any clear grid pattern. You might think it might be difficult to navigate this southern part. Yet surprisingly, many New Yorkers prefer this area´s design over the grid system found up north. But why and what could possibly be the reason for such different layouts? The grid layout on the northern part was carefully planned later by Americans, to create an organized look designed to resemble other US cities But the southern part with winding streets, is more loved by New Yorkers, because it was actually built by European settlers in the 16th and 17th hundreds. That gives it a charming and historic feel." Fonte: global.travel.tv @projetomemoria #projetomemoria

In 2+ decades of work that included multiple Olympics, travelling the world for work, and helping to re-shape the Canadian broadcast media ecosystem, collaborating with the World Economic Forum to produce the 2023 Urban Transformation Summit in Detroit was a career highlight. And much of it is thanks to the people and splendor of a reimagined City of Detroit, including the incredible Book Tower. We hosted the opening night reception there in October and shared the extraordinary building with guests from around the world. The result was unanimous jaw-dropping reaction, with attendees revelling in what's possible when public and private leaders put their clout and money behind a common vision. Bedrock CEO Kofi Bonner's all-star team of architects, designers and builders have been drawing up the blueprints for urban transformation, and Book Tower is no different. This Bloomberg CityLab piece does a great job describing the building's transformation. If you care about your city, love architecture, or just love a great come-from-behind underdog story, take a read. After reading the piece, here are some tips: 1. Looking for a weekend getaway this summer? Think Detroit. 2. If you go, make sure you check out Jeanette Pierce's City Institute to see the real Detroit. 3. Spend the extra cash and stay at the Roost Hotel inside Book Tower (or the Shinola Hotel). Both are gorgeous, centrally located and immeasurably comfortable. #detroit #detroitdesign #urbantransformation