Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates designed the skyscraper office buiding at 333 Wacker Drive on the Chicago River. The sheer immensity of this edifice stuns the public. The curved green facade seems like a reflect of the river, which is renown for its green reflections of Chicago’s architecture. This natural soft shape contrasts the hard triangular angle on the city side. This deep abstraction speaks to the sensibility behind modern buildings in the city. The Merchandise Mart building across the river severely contrasts the 333 Wacker by its rectilinear minimalism and vertical emphasis. Each contextual built element was carefully considered. At a total cost of $1.2million, the stunning glass blocks more than half the sun. Mechanical systems became decorative elements and spoke to the elevated trains nearby.
(stu_spivack– flickr/creative commons license)
(Niklas Hellerstedt– flickr/creative commons license)
(Señor Codo– flickr/creative commons license)
(Señor Codo– flickr/creative commons license)
(Niklas Hellerstedt– flickr/creative commons license)
(Max Klingensmith– flickr/creative commons license)
