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Grafting a Stratton Building clone on to Union Station

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Illinois

* Architects Newspaper…

In 2004, Chicago watched historic Soldier Field become a toilet bowl. In 2019, Union Station will become a self-inked address stamper. During a public meeting on June 25, Chicago-based architects Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB) unveiled plans to construct a seven-story glass addition to the 1925 Graham, Anderson, Probst & White train station in the West Loop. Along with Riverside Investment & Development and Convexity Properties, SCB outlined the details of the proposal, including a hotel, apartments, an office complex, and retail. If implemented, Union Station would rise in height from 150 to 245 feet, with the proposed glass rectangle atop the existing office tour delivering 404 apartments. The multi-story main building, or headhouse, would become 330 hotel rooms.

* Edward Keegan in Crain’s…

The SCB scheme looks like a banal government-issue office building of the 1960s has been plunked down on top of the original. […]

The fact that this design has been publicly unveiled is an insult to Chicago’s alleged position as a place that takes architecture seriously. It requires a complete do-over.

* To my eyes, it looks like a very familiar “banal government-issue office building” of the 1950s. Here’s the proposed Union Station addition…

* And here’s the Stratton Building, which was completed in 1956…

Yuck.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 11:32 am

Comments

It’s all about the money and taxes. Next, they’ll sell naming rights.

Comment by Sir Reel Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 11:38 am
Brutal - ist

Comment by Fax Machine Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 11:38 am
At least the new building probably won’t be riddled with asbestos.. but yes, it looks pretty stupid.

Comment by Ahoy! Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 11:46 am
If that’s the best SCB can do, Amtrak needs a new architect.

Comment by Northsider Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 11:47 am
Stratton looks better.

Comment by RWP Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 11:59 am
architecturally, the columns and vintage look are very preserved from the street.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 12:06 pm
As crazy as I may sound saying this, I don’t think the Stratton is the ugliest government office building in Springfield. I think the Stratton looks like an architectural masterpiece compared to Springfield’s Municipal Building (IIRC constructed 1959-1961). And need I say more about the UGLY light blue painted walls, like an ugly Easter egg color:

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.7990783,-89.6465502,3a,33.2y,89.48h,90.53t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sHgO8omUXZHJUUuN5qvG5cg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Comment by Leatherneck Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 12:08 pm
What is the fascination with Soviet era architecture? Perhaps we could have public art of statues waiting in a bread line to make it complete.

Comment by ArchPundit Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 12:14 pm
I don’t care what they do on top of Union Station so long as the important part below that the passengers use continues to look like a bombed-out ruin and exposes customers to toxic exhaust fumes. They need to get their priorities in order.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 12:16 pm
–In 2004, Chicago watched historic Soldier Field become a toilet bowl. –

Old Soldier Field was a historically bad venue to watch a football game. Seating too low, too far from the field, too much endzone.

The decades-long Daley/McCaskey FUBAR was ridiculous and expensive, but the new place has much better sightlines.

There’s a reason no NFL team wanted to stay in LA and play at the historic Coliseum. Like old Soldier, it’s a track and field, not football, venue.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 12:17 pm
I’d prefer they just rip it down rather than smack that gob on top of it.

Comment by Cheryl44 Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 12:23 pm
Looks terrible…I would not want my name or company associated with this mess.

Comment by justpeachy Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 12:29 pm
Double yuck.

Comment by G'Kar Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 12:36 pm
Quest move the Thompson Center on top of it

Comment by DuPage Saint Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 12:42 pm
Why can’t they go back to the original Burnham plan for the building in the 1920s, basically an extra ten or so floors of more or less the same facade? The whole thing is going to need some work; the existing tower is dusty and full of asbestos and Amtrak had to move their offices out some time ago for health and safety reasons.

But I’d also like to see what they have in mind for the functioning of the station. It really is seriously constrained in capacity, and yet so central to our infrastructure and so difficult to replace. Through tracks? Widening the throat at the north end back to four tracks? Electrification or else Tier 4 locomotives for Metra to improve air quality and lower operating costs? Developing the Post Office into an extension of the terminal? Removing 222 Riverside to allow more through tracks? But all this is on the back burner as we digest the shocking appearance of this above-ground part of the plan.

Comment by Angry Chicagoan Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 12:50 pm
“In 2004, Chicago watched historic Soldier Field become a toilet bowl.”
————

In 2010, Chicago and the rest of Big Ten country witnessed Wrigley Field become even more of a toilet bowl than usual for football: the infamous Illinois-Northwestern game with room for only one end zone.

Comment by Leatherneck Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 12:51 pm
===The decades-long Daley/McCaskey FUBAR was ridiculous and expensive, but the new place has much better sightlines.===

While true, it doesn’t change the fact that from the outside it looks hideous. Not to mention it’s already outdated, and doesn’t have a large enough seating capacity for the Bears. When the Bears request a larger stadium with a dome in 5 years, what happens to the place (and the millions in outstanding debt)?

Comment by Sox Fan Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 1:13 pm
– When the Bears request a larger stadium with a dome in 5 years, what happens to the place (and the millions in outstanding debt)?–

If the Bears had any real clout or leverage, they wouldn’t have ended up with revamped Soldier Field after 20 years of haggling.

Keep in mind, because of TV deals, the Bears, like all NFL teams, turn a profit before they sell Ticket One.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 1:26 pm
It’s Soldier Field all over again. “An addition that respects the existing architecture” …. HA

Comment by NoGifts Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 1:36 pm
Now that’s just stupid. I know Chicago is supposed to be this mecca for architecture, but this is just plain ugly and uninspired.

Comment by Commonsense in Illinois Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 1:51 pm
“Brutal -it’s”

Well played, Fax Machine.

Sometimes architects get carried away with themselves. It would be very easy to design an addition that fits seamlessly with the original structure, but then no one would notice it. That’s the problem. Architects, and developers to a lesser extent, want their work to be noticed.

Comment by Roman Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 2:11 pm
It looks like a press box on top of an art-deco post office… weird.

Comment by fedup Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 2:14 pm
It looks like an appliance—a space heater?

Comment by state worker Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 2:20 pm
Sad! Surely there is a better solution than that. Reminds me of the original facade of Schroeder Hall at Illinois State U. That got a make over a few years ago The glass box is gone and something more classical in its place. Google it.

Comment by Nearly Normal Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 2:21 pm
Checks calendar, still not April 1.

Comment by Shemp Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 4:32 pm
Where have all the buildings gone?
Long time passing.
Where have all the buildings gone?
Long time ago.
Where have all the buildings gone?
Gone to archetortue every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Comment by TinyDancer(FKASue) Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 4:40 pm
archetorture - sorry

Comment by TinyDancer(FKASue) Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 5:30 pm
==In 2010, Chicago and the rest of Big Ten country witnessed Wrigley Field become even more of a toilet bowl than usual for football: the infamous Illinois-Northwestern game with room for only one end zone.–

You can’t be serious.

The Bears won seven NFL championships with Wrigley as their home field.

The old timers will tell you that the upper deck at Wrigley was the best spot, ever, to watch a football game. Right on top of the action.

I imagine Zuppke, straight out of Oak Park-River Forest High School, the guy who taught Halas and Grange how to play football at C-U, had no problem with Wrigley.

Nor South Side Butkus or Maywood Nitschke, when he was in town.

I’m absolutely certain that Fitz and Lovie would love to play more games at Wrigley. Sell the place out.

What’s your problem, boo-boo? The troughs?

Try some Depends, if you get nervous. It’s a football game, it’s supposed to get exciting.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 11:20 pm
word, the Illini will be playing South Florida at Soldiers Field in September. Buy your tickets now, they’re going fast. Not. NU returns to Wrigley in 2020 against Wisconsin. No word yet on the end zone count.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 11:59 pm