GEG seo: canc | noun owenEUW aNSTUDIO GANG | AQUA TOWER ‘CHICAGO'S SKYSCRAPERS MAY BE FAMOUS for their technical achievement and functional expression but they ae often short on pizzazz. Now Stadio Gang has designed ‘Aqua Niemeyeresque partment and hotel oer whose architectonic facade of ses ‘ously swerving white concrete Bleep ot rom among itt brethren, Enabled byslent i Loetenberg ofthe Magellan Development Group, Jeanne Gang principal of Studio Gang, conceived the 82-stry tower on a podium as part Laewenbergs Lakeshore East, a 28-cte mixed-used development on the former Ilinois Cental Rtiroad yard edging Lake Michigan Inaddition to the water viewson the ast this soigné antidote to Chicago's sailed Modernism looks south {o Millennium Parka the Art Institute of Chicago and ‘orth tothe Chicago River, with the Hancock Center in the distance. Along the river, Aguas curvilinear archte: tural precursor—the oyindical twin towers of Bertrand Goldberg’ Marina City (1968)—can be glimpsed from many balconies, While Goldberg's scheme ‘integrates the plan with the envelope, wedge-shaped rooms came with the price of admistion Since not all prospective ‘occupants enjoy ting furniture ino irregularly shaped spaces, Gang decision to wrap rippling carspace stound a rectilinear poured-in-place concrete frame at ‘Aqua makes Sense in terms of construction and mar keting. For her part, Gang contends that the building's orthogonal core reflects Chicago's eid Naturally the question aries about how a female svchitect with a S7-perioa Frm, known for smaller seal community centers and houses got to design a 19 nillon-square-foot tower, which cost $300 milion in construction. Laewenberg, an MYT-trained architect as well s developer, met Gang at a dinner in Chicago fo Towing lecture by Frank Gehry Since Laewenberg had alreadyenlisted the usa anking Chicago architects to design portionsofhis development inclading Skidmore, ‘Owings & Mersill x master planners he cals he was ready for "young architect who had aot done a high rise befor.” Gang, trained at the University of Minos, Harvard's Graduate School of Design, and Eidgendssi- che Technische Hochschule (ETH) in Zaic, offered the proper pragmatic sensibility. Laewenlerg wasnt woried about Gang’ high-rise experience: He would be the ex fcutive architect aswell a the client ‘The 1AD000-squaefot ste onthe western elge of Lakeshore East generated a tower-on--podium solutionthar would negotiate the 5-fot drop in grade between Up per Columbus Drive onthe west and Harbor Pak atthe ‘et of the complex on the es. The poi itl on tsinslobbics forboth the hot ahoteli istobe designated this month) and the spartments, along with etal stores a ‘loom, an indoor pool and oer publispaces. Beneath allthis parking girage- Above, the tower divided ito thehotl, om lors to 18474 rental partments, on lors Ip S%sand 264 condos on the floors abovs. Atop the awe are penthouses, onthe 8th and lst floor, where clings av high a 14 fet. In designing the alconis that extend outward rom 2 to 12 fet, Gang thought of therm us concrete topag raphy that would remind Chicagoans of limestone out cropping along the Great Lakes—only in tis casey the rises and fills would extend vertically fom the top othe bottom ofthe shat. Hers 00, the leges—9-inch-thick ‘oneretbalonies—thin ot tovrar the edge ofthe can leer to help drainage. n working out the balcony con tours, Gang conducted view studies of unimpeded sight lines fr places of interest. The diferent ripplsalso allow oblique views up and down the facade from the various buleonies. Moving between physical models and digital ‘ones—swvitching fom hand to computer—Gang’ team rived at separate calculations for each floor pate. Maslin fund way to be efficent about crating curves forthe concrete balconies An edge-form sel plate guide the pour and, when Finished, sapped back ito a Straight plane tobe eused and bent ito another curve ‘While this method saved on construction, the tar did ‘ot inci thermal breaks between the outdooe and in door las, wingtothe complet of the cantilever. The sheence has received criticism for the los of het ring the winter due othe radiator elect. (or more on this de 1, March-April 2010, page and Editors’ Letter, page 13) a espoase, Gang sys that ‘while thermal beaks woud have boen prefered, other considerations have saved energy, such as using Chicago's District Energy’ Sytem alongwith the apartment nat 1 senilation, sn shading daring the mimimer, andthe tue ofhighpperformance glass toc sol "The architects wanted to make sure apartments could receive sufficient dvect light and 0 crated ponds" of las that interrupt the balconies in certain be see GrenSeu Le teste eby ot Upper gn put f Loewenportions ofthe facade. To reduce the soar loads, they specified sixtypes flaring, inching tinted, elective, and rte along with low-E glas. The fitted glasslso oubles asa safety factor in keeping birds fom crash ing into the tower—a strategy tht won Aqua an aeard from People for the Ethical Treatment of A ‘One of the most compelling festures—besies the bulconis—is the landscaped roof, $0,000 square feet, in size, atop the tory podium. Working with Wolff Landscape Architecture, Stadio Gang crested a swirling annden sith paths reminiscent of Roberto Burle-Marxe nd planted with colorful Nora nigh soi A sustainable by-product ofthe garden isthe mitigation ofthe summer eatin tfc so ypical fap rf, In adit, it provides occupants with other amenites—such as ran ning rack, outdoor pool and utdoor Fireplace. ‘Although the rectangular podium selfs stark and block in comparison with the gatden and tower, Gang softened the effect with two large concrete staircases that link the upper stcet level with the lower Harbor Patk: One isa switchback sai, the other spiral, On the east face ofthe podium, Gang inserted nine town, houses, for which she designed interior finishes. She also executed finishes a well furnishings fora mod town house nearing completion, Rectilinea floorplans and a squared podium are proforma, What advances architecture at Agua isthe inventvenes ofits swerving iets of concrete, which not “only heighten the tower livability for the accupans but fad tothe appearance of the cityscape for Chicagoans Yet the optical play x not without drawbacks The vinta appeal of Aqua’ curves works best close-up of at mi ‘istance, and on a bright, sunny day when the gleaming lass adds ister tothe sinuous balconies, However, frm 2 distance, and on a gray day, the curves flaten into ‘traght ines the white concrete darkens, nd the ponds (of glass tur into raga swaths of patchwork, Asan ‘optical experiment—as 2 machine for viewing (ook ing atthe city Grom the tower, and at he tower from the city)Agua is enchanting, but needs further research th Archie ot renee: S659 aetog ia SOURCES Seve ncpeh anette arciect eet: aioe 7D owe aera ares Sata censuses Gig aan foe Noemie Asoctes reat omen ans Giucuengnee; tomas AavanecMecincel Eater anal ep Shersinecis| a nga Cay engineer: ol Lacscape Prt own uses) STUDIO GANG | AQUA TOWER