A residential skyscraper designed by the late German-American architect Helmut Jahn has topped out in Chicago‘s South Loop.
Sited in the city’s Historic Michigan Avenue District, the skyscraper reached its final height of 788 feet (240 metres) after construction began in 2019. It sits on the western edge of Grant Park.
Designed by architecture studio Jahn, the skyscraper’s concrete structure has been completed and work on the glass facade will complete shortly.
1000 M has two components, a relatively square base with a lip on one side. On top of this is a tower that sits back from the edge of the base, has rounded edges and twists slightly as it rises. Balconies for the residencies have been set back from the glass facade.
With 73 storeys, the skyscraper will be the tallest in the city south of Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower). The original plan for the skyscraper had the tower at 832 feet (254 metres) tall but restrictions in the area forced the developers, Time Equities, Inc, JK Equities and Oak Capitals, to reduce the height.
To support the tower’s height, Chicago construction firm McHugh Construction had to drive caissons 87 feet (26 metres) below ground to reach bedrock.
The finished skyscraper will have 738 apartments as well as a rooftop observation deck with views of the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan. According to the developers, it will be the tallest observation deck in the city.
Chicago-based designer Kara Mann is currently set to design the interiors for both the apartments and for 80,000 square feet (7,432 square metres) of indoor and outdoor amenity areas located throughout the building.
The Cape Cod Modern House Trust has launched a campaign to raise $1.2 million to purchase modernist architect Marcel Breuer‘s holiday home in Cape Cod, USA, to save it from likely demolition.
“Most significant of the Cape’s many modernist buildings”
The group describes the building near the town of Wellfleet as the “most significant of the Cape’s many modernist buildings” and believes that if it is purchased by a private buyer it will likely be demolished.
Tomas Breuer has set a purchase price of $2 million, of which $1.2 million will need to be raised from donations.
“We need to raise £1.2 million and are approved for a mortgage for the balance,” explained Cape Cod Modern House Trust founding director Peter McMahon.
“The house is 1,700 square foot and a house twice the size can be built on the lot with no need of a variance,” he told Dezeen. “It’s un-heated and in disrepair so most buyers would be only interested in the land.”
The original house is an early example of the Long House typology developed by Marcel Breuer, who was a master at the influential Bauhaus school in Germany. It was then expanded in 1961 by adding an art studio and again in 1968 with the addition of a small apartment and darkroom for his son Tomas.
Although it is in a state of disrepair, the home contains almost all its original furniture including one-of-a-kind tables, couches and hand-woven rugs designed for the house. It also contains artworks numerous artworks designed by Bauhaus alumni Paul Klee, Josef Albers and Herbert Bayer.
Marcel Breuer and his wife’s ashes were laid under a stone slab made by sculptor Masayuki Nagare on next to the house.
“It was a vibrant meeting place for Bauhaus alumni and local creatives for decades,” said McMahon. “It is fully intact with the family’s art, books, furniture and photos, so it’s loss would be a blow to scholars and the public.”
“In Europe it would be listed and protected”
The Cape Cod Modern House Trust aims to restore the house and turn it into a centre for preservation and residences for its fellowship.
“In Europe, it would be listed and protected, but we have very weak laws in the US for the preservation of historic buildings,” said McMahon.
“The Breuer house is not only an important piece of architecture, it was also a meeting place for many of the great designers and artists of the era including the Saarinen family, Florence Knoll, Alexander Calder, Walter Gropius and many others,” he continued.
“We have a chance to save it from ruin and to make it a busy nexus of learning and creativity again.”
The cabin is the latest modernist house to be under threat on Cape Cod, with the preservation group estimating that at least one significant building has been lost every year since 2016.
Last year another of Marcel Breuer’s houses – Geller I house on Long Island – was demolished overnight.
“We have lost many significant modern homes due to increasing land values and lack of stewardship, including Breuer’s Geller house on Long Island in 2022,” said Liz Waytkus, executive director of preservation group Docomomo US.
“There is so much to be studied and learned from these modest places and our cultural legacy can not be replaced,” she continued. “Everyone who cares about the legacy of the 20th century should support this effort to save Breuer’s own house and his final resting place.”
The Cape Cod Modern House Trust has been given until spring 2024 to raise the funds to purchase the house.
Marcel Breuer was one of the 20th century’s most significant modernist architects and furniture designers. He was awarded the AIA Gold Medal in 1968. After studying and teaching at the Bauhaus he fled Germany to London as the Nazis gained power before moving to the USA and establishing his studio in New York.
Following the announcement, the regulations were described as a “backwards step” that would “threaten the safety of the LGBTQ+ community” by architectural groups.
“It is important that everybody has privacy”
Under the regulations, new public buildings will be required to provide separate single-sex toilets for men and women or self-contained toilets. Gender-neutral toilets will only be allowed “when lack of space allows only a single toilet”.
Announcing the regulations, minister for women and equalities Kemi Badenoch stated that the rules were being introduced to protect women and girls.
“It is important that everybody has privacy and dignity when using public facilities, she said. “Yet the move towards gender-neutral toilets has removed this fundamental right for women and girls.”
“These proposals will ensure every new building in England is required to provide separate male and female or unisex facilities, and publish guidance to explain the difference, protecting the dignity, privacy and safety of all.”
“Despite 83 per cent of respondents being in support of non-gendered toilets, the government has pressed ahead with unprecedented new regulations, that will threaten the safety of the LGBTQ+ community, particularly those who are trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming or visibly queer,” said UVW-SAW member Martha.
“As we feared, the proposals will make so-called ‘single-sex’ spaces the baseline legal requirement, leaving toilets that are free and safe for all to use as an optional extra ‘if space allows’.”
This was echoed by the Architecture LGBT+ group, which said that it was alarmed by the regulations.
“We are alarmed by this backwards step to reverse gender-neutral toilets in public buildings, preventing authentic inclusivity,” chair of Architecture LGBT+ Tom Guy and Architecture LGBT+ committee member Sarah Habershon told Dezeen.
“Gender-neutral spaces allow transgender and non-binary people, some of the most marginalised in society, the freedom to use facilities without having to gender themselves with dignity,” they continued.
“Gendered spaces speak of boundaries, segregation and ideas of who is allowed in and who is not. Government-led culture wars lead to division in society whilst we currently have a rise in homophobic and transphobic hate crime.”
“As a principle, RIBA supports the design of inclusive environments and we are looking carefully at the detail of this consultation,” said a RIBA spokesperson. “As we are in the middle of our own review, we are not yet in a position to comment.”
With fewer than 15 Deaf people training to become architects in the UK, the Deaf Architecture Front platform has launched to boost accessibility and representation in the industry.
The Deaf Architecture Front (DAF) is “an all-in-one platform” aimed at levelling the playing field for Deaf people in architecture through campaigns, research and improved resources.
It has been kickstarted by Chris Laing, an architectural designer with first-hand experience in navigating the obstacles faced by Deaf people entering and working in the industry.
“DAF will make the journey much easier”
“The DAF was founded in response to all of the barriers and obstacles I have faced in my journey as a Deaf person trying to build a career in architecture,” Laing told Dezeen.
“Throughout my architecture education, I was constantly working to source interpreters, notetakers and learning support, worrying that disability funding would run out, struggling to keep up with things like software training, working out how to translate specialist terminology into British Sign Language (BSL) – fighting for my right to learn on an equal footing with my peers.”
DAF exists to support members of the Deaf community in the architecture industry experiencing these same issues, while also maximising visibility and Deaf-friendly spaces.
“It is my hope that the DAF will make the journey much easier for those who come next,” Laing added.
According to Laing, there are fewer than 15 Deaf architecture students in the UK and even fewer qualified architects. Of the one per cent of qualified architects who identify as disabled, just 0.2 per cent are Deaf.
His motivation to launch the platform was prompted by the Black Lives Matter movement and the Future Architects Front group, which he said showed that “society was becoming more receptive to issues surrounding access and inclusion”.
“I realised that building a unifying platform for the Deaf community in spatial design was the first essential step in effecting change,” he said.
The ambitions of DAF are two-fold. While reducing barriers to Deaf people working in the field of architecture, it also hopes to ensure the experiences of people with hearing loss are properly considered in building design.
To achieve this, it is campaigning to expand British Sign Language resources within the sector, such as funding interpreters and improving work-experience opportunities, while ensuring architecture studios are adhering to DeafSpace – an approach to architecture based on the requirements of Deaf people.
“Hearing architects rarely consider, because they do not understand, that the way in which Deaf people experience and navigate a building is very different to hearing people,” said Laing.
An example of this includes the presence of squared corners that limit visibility and, therefore, increase the likelihood of Deaf people colliding with others as they cannot rely on audio cues to know if there is someone nearby.
Public toilets can also be anxiety-inducing for people who are hard of hearing because if there is a fire alarm sounding, you cannot see people evacuating.
DAF could expand into other countries
“To fix this, it is essential to ensure Deaf people have a stake in architecture, and part of the way we achieve that is by ensuring they have a professional route into the sector,” Laing explained.
According to Laing, despite the low numbers of Deaf people entering and working in the architecture industry, “the UK is at the forefront in terms of access, compared to other countries”.
“At the moment there are no figures or clear statistics from other countries available for comparison, and there are no organisations similar to the DAF that promote Deaf architects or provide resources to enable better access for the Deaf community,” he said.
It is his ambition that DAF may one day be able to expand into other countries. However, the platform’s immediate focus is on raising funds to achieve its initial three-year plan.
This strategy includes updating Signstrokes – a lexicon of BSL architectural terms that Laing developed with architectural assistant Adolfs Kristapsons – and teaching it to interpreters and translators.
DAF is also aiming to create a structure for training its own consultants while establishing “a DeafSpace Lab” to share resources and host workshops about the design approach.
Architecture is a notoriously inaccessible profession. Alongside the launch of DAF, the last few years have seen an increase in awareness of the gender pay gap and lack of racial diversity in the industry.
Architecture bodies including RIBA and AIA are putting together guidance and policy requests to governments to help the profession deal with the potential risks and benefits of AI.
Artificial-intelligence (AI) technology has advanced rapidly in recent years, with the emergence of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Midjourney raising serious questions for the creative industries.
“AI presents exciting opportunities for the future of architecture in areas like design, workflow and various kinds of calculation,” a RIBA spokesperson told Dezeen. “However, there are also potential risks that we must consider and mitigate.”
“As this technology evolves at a rapid pace and the landscape changes quickly, we are currently working with expert members and government to help formulate guidance and to advocate in the profession’s best interests,” they continued.
“At AIA, we are constantly monitoring, tracking, and sharing the issues and technologies which help our members best serve their firms,” said AIA chief executive Lakisha Ann Woods.
“There are elements of the work where AI can complement and increase efficiencies, however, when it comes to stability, reliability and functionality, you can’t substitute the expertise of an architect.”
A recent AIA survey found that while only five per cent of US architecture studios report early adoption of AI models, 90 per cent expect to be using the technology more over the next three years.
Australian architects “expressed mix of concern and excitement”
“While the institute does not believe we should fear AI, the Australian government should ensure that there is an appropriate regulatory environment to mitigate the potential downsides,” the document states.
“Like many professions, the architecture profession is starting to grapple with the potential (and real) risks and rewards of using AI. Our members have expressed a mix of concern and excitement involving AI, both as it relates to the profession and in everyday life.”
The document highlights perceived benefits and areas of concern for architects associated with the technology.
Among the benefits, it lists speeding up manual-intensive work, early identification of code or design problems and help with renderings and visualisations.
Employment prospects, loss of skills and knowledge arising from over-reliance on AI and intellectual-property issues are among the concerns listed.
The first architects’ union in the US, a chapter of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers at Bernheimer Architecture, told Dezeen that it acknowledged “the potential for artificial intelligence to be integrated with design tools in innovative ways”.
“AI technology, however, should not take the space and place of human labor,” the union’s negotiating committee told Dezeen via a joint statement with the Bernheimer Architecture management.
“Architecture is a profession driven by human creativity and the reality of architectural labor is that it requires a well-rounded set of skills beyond what AI can replicate.”
The photo is by Philip Vile.
AItopia
This article is part of Dezeen’s AItopia series, which explores the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on design, architecture and humanity, both now and in the future.
Concave chairs like Arne Jacobsen‘s Egg and Eero Saarinen‘s Womb don’t meet today’s definition of good design, according to the founders of design studio Pearson Lloyd.
Luke Pearson and Tom Lloyd said furniture with glued upholstery no longer makes sense because it is too difficult to recycle.
They argue that mid-century designs like the Egg and Womb, which require a large amount of glue to achieve their concave shapes, are no longer appropriate for production.
“People still hold up the Egg chair as an icon of design, even though it’s made of textile glued onto foam and moulded onto metal, making it almost impossible to repair or recycle,” Lloyd told Dezeen.
“Any textile which is a concave surface is not fit for purpose any more,” he said.
Shift to “planet-first approach”
In a joint statement sent exclusively to Dezeen, titled “Why the Egg chair would not be designed today”, the Pearson Lloyd founders said that today’s furniture must embrace the circular economy.
They said the definition of “good design” must now consider environmental impact.
“We are no longer able to judge the quality of a design by aesthetics alone,” they said.
“The value proposition of design is shifting rapidly towards a planet-first approach, and it is leading us to question how we behave and what we make. If a design doesn’t minimise carbon and maximise circularity, is it good?”
Finnish architect Eero Saarinen developed the Womb chair in 1946. It went into production for furniture brand Knoll two years later.
Danish architect Arne Jacobsen designed the Egg chair, as well as the smaller Swan chair, in 1958 for the interior of the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. They were marketed by Danish brand Fritz Hansen soon after and have been in continuous production ever since.
“Almost impossible” to recycle
All three designs are produced by glueing leather or textile onto polyurethane foam, then moulding it over a structural frame of metal or fibreglass.
This results in products that are easy to manufacture and highly lightweight, but it also makes them harder to recycle and consequently increases their ecological footprint.
This technology was revolutionary in the mid-20th century, but Pearson and Lloyd believe it has since become defunct, due to “the poor environmental credentials of this material stack”.
“Today we are questioning whether 20th-century technologies are appropriate, to eliminate products that have a short and single carbon lifecycle,” they said.
The pair reject the counterargument that, as design classics, these products often outlive their expected lifespans.
“What about the generations of derivative products whose useful life is so much shorter?” they said. “They have been incinerated or added to landfill.”
Pearson Lloyd now avoids glued textiles
Pearson Lloyd has previously used glued textiles in its own designs. But it now avoids them as much as possible, said the founders.
They instead promote the use of linear or convex shapes, which allow textiles to be held in place with drawstrings rather than glue.
Recent launches such as the CoLab classroom furniture, produced by British brand Senator, demonstrate this approach.
Pearson and Lloyd believe that new technologies such as 3D knitting also offer viable alternatives.
“We are excited by new material innovations such as 3D knitting that are allowing us to explore new design paradigms, new aesthetics and new demountable structures, to reflect the times we live in and our new priorities,” added the duo.
Read the full statement below:
Why the Egg chair would not be designed today
Egg, Swan, Womb: these organic words are resonant of nature. They are also names of some of the most recognisable chairs of the 20th century that reimagined seating in bold forms. This new aesthetic language of complex compound forms was enabled by technological developments in polyurethane foam moulding, glues, and fibreglass. These icons of design have been held up as benchmarks to which designers the world over should aspire.
Today, our definition of good design is changing. We are no longer able to judge the quality of a design by aesthetics alone. The value proposition of design is shifting rapidly towards a planet-first approach, and it is leading us to question how we behave and what we make. If a design doesn’t minimise carbon and maximise circularity is it good?
So a question we have been asking ourselves recently as we have been avoiding glueing textiles: would iconic products like the Swan, Egg and Womb chairs be designed today?
Circular design demands that products can be repaired to extend their life and recycled at end-of-life, so that carbon can be recovered by returning constituent materials to their discrete technical cycles. The vision is that we could use the products and materials in circulation today to cater to our needs in the future, preventing the extraction of raw materials.
Icons such as the Egg, Swan and Womb chair apply textiles to concave padded surfaces for comfort. This requires the textile to be glued onto foam to hold it in place. The foam is then moulded over a structural frame or surface, connecting three materials together in a way that is almost impossible to separate for repair or recycling. The poor environmental credentials of this material stack have led to the Egg aesthetic disappearing from contemporary design.
Now, ironically, in the case of these iconic chairs, their cultural durability means that they are cherished way beyond their normal and expected lifespans and, like classic cars, through careful restoration, they may indeed last forever. But what about the generations of derivative products whose useful life is so much shorter? They have been incinerated or added to landfill.
Today we are questioning whether 20th-century technologies are appropriate, to eliminate products that have a short and single carbon lifecycle. We are excited by new material innovations such as 3D knitting that are allowing us to explore new design paradigms, new aesthetics and new demountable structures, to reflect the times we live in and our new priorities.
The iconic San Siro in Milan, which was set to be replaced by a Populous-designed stadium, has been saved from demolition because of its “cultural heritage”.
The stadium, which is shared by Italian football clubs Inter Milan and AC Milan, was rescued from demolition by the Regional Commission for the Cultural Heritage of Lombardy due to the cultural significance its distinctive appearance.
Originally designed by architect Ulisse Stacchini in the 1920s, the stadium has been expanded and renovated several times, with engineers Armando Ronca and Ferruccio Calzolari adding the distinctive second tier and ramped staircases in 1955.
“The Regional Commission for the Cultural Heritage of Lombardy expressed a positive opinion on the existence of cultural heritage of the second tier at the San Siro stadium, in view of future verification under article 12 of Legislative Decree 42/2004,” the organisation said in a statement shared with sports media platform Tribuna.
“Thus, the committee endorses the proposal of the superintendence,” it added.
“It should also be noted that the Archival and Bibliographic Superintendence for Lombardy, during the same session, recalled the value of the west grandstand of the stadium as an ‘exposed archive’ for the plaques/epigraphs documenting the national and international successes of Inter and Milan.”
Instead, AC Milan and Inter Milan are now reportedly looking for two separate sites for their future stadiums.
Dezeen understands that if the two clubs go their separate ways, Populous would likely work with Inter Milan on the design of its future stadium due to its historical links with the club. The club reportedly plans for its new stadium to be located in the Rozzano area, south of Milan.
AC Milan is said to be planning to build a stadium in San Donato Milanese, where the club has acquired a majority stake in the Sportlifecity company, which holds development rights for the land in the area, according to newspaper The Stadium Business.
The new AC Milan stadium would have a capacity of 60,000-70,000 seats.
San Siro stadium important “for the protection of memory”
The San Siro news comes after Italian undersecretary for culture, Vittorio Sgarbi, promised in January that the stadium would not be torn down.
“I am convinced that the stadium should not be demolished, not so much for its architectural value as for the importance as a symbol and for the protection of memory,” Sgarbi told Italian newspaper Il Giorno at the time.
“For this reason, as far as I am concerned, I will take all the necessary steps to prevent it from being torn down.”
The Populous stadium that was set to replace San Siro was informed by two of Milan’s best-known buildings, the Duomo di Milano cathedral and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele shopping arcade. The area around the stadium would have become pedestrian-only, with existing parking moved underground.
There have been other suggested uses for San Siro in the past. In 2020, architect Angelo Renna envisioned turning it into a tree-covered coronavirus memorial.
The main image is by Prelvini via Wikimedia Commons.
Named Brooklyn Tower, the 325-metre-tall building by New York studio SHoP Architects topped out in March, but its black and bronze exterior was only recently completed.
It contains more than 500 residences alongside retail facilities at its base, which is wider than other supertalls because of the high winds in Brooklyn.
In other architecture news, construction progress on the Red Sea International Airport by Foster + Partners was revealed in a drone video and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) released its House of the Year award longlist.
Among the listed projects are a castle-like dwelling by Denizen Works and a glasshouse-informed home by Niall McLaughlin Architects, both of which were also recently named winners of the RIBA National Awards for 2023.
In the design world, Tesla hit the headlines after it began selling a cardboard cat house that has an angular form modelled on the brand’s electric Cybertruck.
Meanwhile, scientists from Texas A&M University and Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico published research that proves metal is able to self-repair. The discovery could pave the way for self-healing machines, vehicles and bridges.
Called the Lebond Siza, the watch has an angular case that was informed by the square shape of the main Leça swimming pool, while the watch hands nod to the minimalist restroom signs found in the leisure complex.
Architect David Adjaye has lost another large project in the wake of sexual assault allegations against him, as his studio is dropped from the International Slavery Museum redevelopment in Liverpool.
However, the National Museums Liverpool (NML), which commissioned the £57 million project, said it was severing ties with Adjaye Associates as it “felt there were some risks in terms of continuing our contract,” reported British newspaper the Financial Times (FT).
Organisation is looking for new architect
While NML remains committed to the project, it will now start an “accelerated tender procurement” to find a new architect for it.
“National Museums Liverpool has taken the decision to terminate the contract with Adjaye Associates (AA),” a spokesperson for the museum told Dezeen.
“We would like to thank the AA team who have worked hard to bring the International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum transformation project to a developed design stage,” it added.
“We remain committed to the project as we continue to build on the momentum already established and intend to start an accelerated tender procurement for new architects in the coming weeks.”
The project was set to turn the museum’s existing Dr Martin Luther King Jr building into a new entrance to the International Slavery Museum and would add more retail and events spaces as well as a cafeteria and temporary exhibition spaces.
“This project presents us with an opportunity to reimagine the historic fabric of this Grade I Listed Building and to reposition it within the powerful context of Liverpool’s Waterfront and its relationship to the transatlantic slave trade,” Adjaye said at the time.
According to the women, dealing with Adjaye caused them serious mental distress and financial difficulties, and disrupted their careers.
After an investigation by the FT detailed the allegations against the architect, which Adjaye denies, a number of institutions and organisations have dropped projects by the studio.
“The Africa Institute is deeply troubled by the recently reported allegations regarding David Adjaye, and we have made the decision to cancel the building project with Adjaye Associates,” president of the Africa Institute Hoor Al Qasimi said in a statement shared with Dezeen.
The architect has also relinquished his role as a design advocate for the mayor of London and left his role as a trustee at London’s Serpentine Galleries.
In a response to the sexual assault allegations, Adjaye told the FT: “I absolutely reject any claims of sexual misconduct, abuse or criminal wrongdoing. These allegations are untrue, distressing for me and my family and run counter to everything I stand for.”
Chicago-based architecture firm Studio Gang has been selected to renovate and expand the Clinton Presidential Center, a library and museum in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Studio Gang was chosen by The Clinton Foundation, a non-profit organisation founded by former US president Bill Clinton, to expand the programming of the current building.
The program also calls for the creation of a new Hillary Rodham Clinton Institute to house the former first lady and secretary of state’s personal archives.
Situated next to the Arkansas River, the current site includes a number of historical and contemporary structures, including the main building, a five-storey ultra-modern elongated structure designed by American studio Polshek Partnership (now Ennead Architects) in 2004.
The main building cantilevers towards the river and features an event space, a restaurant, a penthouse for the Clintons and a private rooftop garden.
High environmental standards
While no designs have been released, the foundation noted that the expansion will build on its “record of sustainable design”, citing that it was “among the first” LEED-certified buildings in the state.
“The Clinton Presidential Center was built to set a new standard for environmental performance,” said Studio Gang founder Jeanne Gang.
“We are excited to be working with the Clinton Foundation to advance that legacy, while also strengthening the Clinton Center’s role as a welcoming hub for cultivating a new generation of global leaders.”
More design details will be released in 2024, according to the foundation, which also noted that Studio Gang will collaborate with local studio Polk Stanley Wilcox on the expansion.
Bill Clinton served twice as the governor of Arkansas as the 42nd president of the United States and was born in Hope, Arkansas.
Recently, Studio Gang completed another project in the city, the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, weaving together a number of disparate buildings on the site.
Elsewhere in the state, in Bentonville, the Walton family, founders of supermarket chain Walmart, have been commissioning a number of architectural works including a number of buildings for its Thaden School by Arkansas studio Marlon Blackwell Architects.