Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Illinois > Chicago
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 01-25-2013, 05:57 AM
 
Location: Chicago
4,688 posts, read 10,106,669 times
Reputation: 3207

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by s, harry truman View Post
Not a skyscraper, but the Merchandise Mart is an eyesore.
You're fired.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 01-25-2013, 07:33 AM
 
2,421 posts, read 4,318,724 times
Reputation: 1479
Quote:
Originally Posted by s, harry truman View Post
Not a skyscraper, but the Merchandise Mart is an eyesore.
This is crazy! Merchandise Mart might not be the most beautiful but it is not an eyesore!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-25-2013, 08:07 AM
 
7,331 posts, read 15,386,950 times
Reputation: 3800
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chicagoist123 View Post
This is crazy! Merchandise Mart might not be the most beautiful but it is not an eyesore!
It's on my top ten in the city. So imposing, and so many neat details if you know where to look.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-25-2013, 08:11 AM
 
14,798 posts, read 17,685,669 times
Reputation: 9251
Quote:
Originally Posted by jgardener View Post
Looks like St. Louis, maybe Soulard or Lafayette Square somewhere.
That makes sense. I love that building.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-25-2013, 08:29 AM
 
28 posts, read 80,760 times
Reputation: 15
I'm surprised this created a ruckus. I walk by it everyday going north on Franklin and think that because of the small windows on a majority of the middle floors it looks like a boxy prison.

This morning I took a much closer look and did appreciate some of the molding around the top of the building and the gold diamonds on the upper floors. There are some nice details I previously hadn't noticed, I don't think you should have to be on an architecture boat tour to think a building looks good or not, but help notice the small details to appreciate it further.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-25-2013, 12:30 PM
 
Location: Chicago
1,312 posts, read 1,870,434 times
Reputation: 1488
Quote:
Originally Posted by jdiddy View Post
I love the inside of the Thompson Center.
Have you used their bathrooms?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-25-2013, 12:45 PM
 
Location: Chicago
1,312 posts, read 1,870,434 times
Reputation: 1488
Quote:
Originally Posted by s, harry truman View Post
I'm surprised this created a ruckus. I walk by it everyday going north on Franklin and think that because of the small windows on a majority of the middle floors it looks like a boxy prison...
Like this?:

Two escape from high-rise Chicago jail | Sun Journal

My vote goes to the jail.

Merchandise Mart is a beast. And not a bad looking building in my opinion. It reminds me of D.C. It seems like something that would have been built there... if it was cool to build buildings up to 25 floors.

Diagrams - SkyscraperPage.com
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-25-2013, 01:22 PM
 
Location: Wicker Park/East Village area
2,474 posts, read 4,166,049 times
Reputation: 1939
State of Illinois building/Thompson Center - terrible.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-27-2013, 12:28 PM
 
Location: Beautiful and sanitary DC
2,504 posts, read 3,543,241 times
Reputation: 3280
I'd have to say Grand Plaza, whose website does not even show the building's exterior. 57 stories, so it would be by far the tallest building in almost any major U.S. city; just 10 years old; and ick -- just beige concrete and wraparound balconies, like some beach motel that got stuck in the sky.

There are plenty of only mildly offensive concrete residential high-rises around the city, but none are anywhere near as visually obtrusive.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ChiGuy2.5 View Post
I always wondered if they meant for it to look like a "1". Its the old Bank One headquarters so I think the curve was meant to give it a 1 shape.
It was built for the First Chicago Bank. Illinois prohibited branch banking, so they needed a huge banking hall and smaller floors for executive offices; the curve brings those two together, and also helps keeps the whole thing standing in the wind. Incidentally, prior to 2001, the high-rise that had previously been on that site was the tallest building ever to be demolished.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-27-2013, 02:00 PM
 
19 posts, read 28,466 times
Reputation: 13
I agree that most Mies bldgs are hideous, but the CNA being red makes it kind of cool.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Illinois > Chicago
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top