The towers were not entirely admired at the time they were built, yet they went on to be the prototype for steel and glass skyscrapers worldwide. Initially, it was difficult to acquire financing for the project, turned down by lenders like Baird & Warner, who considered the design scheme to be too extreme.[4] 860–880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments embody a Modernistic tone with their verticality, grids of steel and glass curtain walls (a hallmark of Mies' skyscrapers), and complete lack of ornamentation. Tenants had to accept the neutral gray curtains that were uniform throughout the buildings; no other curtains or blinds were permitted lest they mar the external appearance.[5] Since Mies was a master of minimalist composition, his principle was "less is more" as it is demonstrated in his self-proclaimed "skin and bones" architecture.[6]
The structural engineer for the project was Georgia Louise Harris Brown, who was the first African American to receive an architecture degree from the University of Kansas, and the second African American woman to receive an architecture license in the United States.
860-880 Lake Shore Drive (left) has windows attached to structure, not to mullions; Esplanade Apartments at 900-910 Lake Shore Drive (right) were first true curtain-wall high-rises.
This building, like many of his Chicago high-rise structures, caused controversy in the pure minimalist community due to its mullions.[citation needed] Mies is hailed as the father of "less is more"; however, 860–880 Lake Shore Drive is covered in non-functional I-beam mullions. Mies explains how the mullions do not violate his less is more philosophy in a 1960 interview: "To me structure is something like logic. It is the best way to do things and express them".[7] The mullions on his buildings reflect the inner structure and therefore give truth to the aesthetic of the building. The idea of truth in architecture aligns with the aesthetic and principles of the international style as taught at the Bauhaus.
Although the 860-880 buildings were the first high-rises to look like they were sheathed with a curtain wall, they in fact were not, because the windows were attached to the structure, not to the decorative-only mullions. It was van der Rohe's 900-910 North Lake Shore (aka Esplanade Apartments) just to the north that were the first high-rises to actually have an uninterrupted glass/aluminum curtain wall, although not the first with a curtain wall.
Renovationsedit
Krueck and Sexton Architects of Chicago were commissioned to renovate the historical towers. Teaming up with them were the preservation architects, Harboe Architects and the forensic and structural analysis firm, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. They were directed to fix prior renovations which took away from the historical accuracy of the towers. Architects were assigned to restore the distorted lighting scheme with original translucent glass, replace the deteriorating travertineplaza, which connects the two towers, and exchange for stones with more historical precision.[8]
Recognitionedit
The apartments as seen from Lake Shore Drive860-880 Lake Shore Drive880 Lake Shore Drive880 Lake Shore Drive taken from 860 Lake Shore Drive
The buildings were finished in 1951 and were featured in a 1957 article in Life Magazine on Mies.[9]
In 1996 they became the first buildings designed by Mies van der Rohe to receive Chicago Landmark Status.[10]
The glass towers have been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1980.[1]
In June 2005, the United States Postal Service included the towers in the commemorative stamp program, Masterworks of Modern Architecture, wherein they were listed as one of the "12 outstanding examples of modern buildings".[11]
In celebration of the 2018 Illinois Bicentennial, 860-880 Lake Shore Drive was selected as one of the Illinois 200 Great Places [12] by the American Institute of Architects Illinois component (AIA Illinois).
Figures and statisticsedit
The twin towers are 26 stories high.
The buildings are 46 feet apart.
The steel skeletal frames rest on a 21-foot grid and are uniform in their design.
The building was originally designed for 860 to contain 90 three bedroom apartments and 880 to hold 158 one bedroom apartments. Many of the units have been combined to enlarge living spaces.[13]
^. City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division. 2003. Archived from the original on May 3, 2007. Retrieved May 14, 2007.
^GmbH, Emporis. "860 Lake Shore Drive, Chicago - 116852 - EMPORIS". www.emporis.com.[dead link]
^Handley, John. "Looking Forward-Is Chicago shifting into a modern mode?" Chicago Tribune 2 June 2002: Real Estate 1.
^ALDEN WHITMAN (August 19, 1969). "Mies van der Rohe Dies at 83; Leader of Modern Architecture". The New York Times. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
^"Mies and the Mastodon." New Republic 6 August 2001: 25–30.
^Puente, Moises. "Conversations With Mies" p31. New York, Princeton Architectural Press, 2008.
^"Moderisms's siren song, restored". AIArchitect. 2008. Retrieved March 27, 2008.
^"Emergence of a Master Architect". LIFE Magazine. 1957. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
^"Chicago Architecture Center". www.architecture.org. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
^. USPS. 2004. Archived from the original on March 25, 2008. Retrieved March 27, 2008.
^Waldinger, Mike (January 30, 2018). "The proud history of architecture in Illinois". Springfield Business Journal. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
^"Mies on Lake Shore Drive". ArchitectureWeekdate. 2004. from the original on March 4, 2008. Retrieved March 27, 2008.
^"Geographic Information Systems 2008-11-06 at the Wayback Machine." Chicago Public Schools. Retrieved on September 17, 2009.
^"Near North/West/Central Elementary Schools 2009-06-12 at the Wayback Machine." Chicago Public Schools. Retrieved on September 17, 2009.
^"West/Central/South High Schools 2013-05-17 at the Wayback Machine." Chicago Public Schools. Retrieved on September 17, 2009.
External linksedit
Media related to 860–880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments at Wikimedia Commons
Article and photos by a+t architecture publishers
IIT Mies Society page on 860–880 Lake Shore Drive
860–880 Lake Shore Drive website (Official site of 860-880 Owner/Tenants and Trust)
The Glass House, 860-880 Lake Shore Drive, A Home for Gracious Living (1957 brochure)
Chicago's "Glass Houses:" Restoring the Recent Past at 860-880 Lake Shore Drive (2009 article)
Illinois Great Places - 860-880 Lake Shore Drive
Society of Architectural Historians SAH ARCHIPEDIA entry on 860-880 Lake Shore Drive
December 18, 2023
lake, shore, drive, apartments, lake, shore, drive, twin, pair, glass, steel, apartment, towers, lake, shore, drive, along, lake, michigan, streeterville, neighborhood, chicago, illinois, construction, began, 1949, project, completed, 1951, towers, were, added. 860 880 Lake Shore Drive is a twin pair of glass and steel apartment towers on N Lake Shore Drive along Lake Michigan in the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago Illinois Construction began in 1949 and the project was completed in 1951 The towers were added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 28 1980 and were designated as Chicago Landmarks on June 10 1996 2 The 26 floor 254 ft 82 m tall towers were designed by the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and dubbed the Glass House apartments Construction was by the Chicago real estate developer Herbert Greenwald and the Sumner S Sollitt Company 3 The design principles were copied extensively and are now considered characteristic of the modern International Style as well as essential for the development of modern high tech architecture Buildings at 860 880 Lake Shore DriveU S National Register of Historic PlacesChicago Landmark860 880 Lake Shore DriveShow map of Central ChicagoShow map of IllinoisShow map of the United StatesLocation860 880 N Lake Shore Drive Chicago IllinoisCoordinates41 53 55 N 87 37 7 W 41 89861 N 87 61861 W 41 89861 87 61861Area1 2 acres 0 49 ha Built1949 1949 ArchitectLudwig Mies van der RoheArchitectural styleInternational StyleNRHP reference No 80001344 1 Significant datesAdded to NRHPAugust 28 1980Designated CLJune 10 1996The towers were not entirely admired at the time they were built yet they went on to be the prototype for steel and glass skyscrapers worldwide Initially it was difficult to acquire financing for the project turned down by lenders like Baird amp Warner who considered the design scheme to be too extreme 4 860 880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments embody a Modernistic tone with their verticality grids of steel and glass curtain walls a hallmark of Mies skyscrapers and complete lack of ornamentation Tenants had to accept the neutral gray curtains that were uniform throughout the buildings no other curtains or blinds were permitted lest they mar the external appearance 5 Since Mies was a master of minimalist composition his principle was less is more as it is demonstrated in his self proclaimed skin and bones architecture 6 The structural engineer for the project was Georgia Louise Harris Brown who was the first African American to receive an architecture degree from the University of Kansas and the second African American woman to receive an architecture license in the United States Contents 1 Controversy 2 Renovations 3 Recognition 4 Figures and statistics 5 Zoned schools 6 References 7 External linksControversy editThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources 860 880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments news newspapers books scholar JSTOR January 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message nbsp 860 880 Lake Shore Drive left has windows attached to structure not to mullions Esplanade Apartments at 900 910 Lake Shore Drive right were first true curtain wall high rises This building like many of his Chicago high rise structures caused controversy in the pure minimalist community due to its mullions citation needed Mies is hailed as the father of less is more however 860 880 Lake Shore Drive is covered in non functional I beam mullions Mies explains how the mullions do not violate his less is more philosophy in a 1960 interview To me structure is something like logic It is the best way to do things and express them 7 The mullions on his buildings reflect the inner structure and therefore give truth to the aesthetic of the building The idea of truth in architecture aligns with the aesthetic and principles of the international style as taught at the Bauhaus Although the 860 880 buildings were the first high rises to look like they were sheathed with a curtain wall they in fact were not because the windows were attached to the structure not to the decorative only mullions It was van der Rohe s 900 910 North Lake Shore aka Esplanade Apartments just to the north that were the first high rises to actually have an uninterrupted glass aluminum curtain wall although not the first with a curtain wall Renovations editKrueck and Sexton Architects of Chicago were commissioned to renovate the historical towers Teaming up with them were the preservation architects Harboe Architects and the forensic and structural analysis firm Wiss Janney Elstner Associates Inc They were directed to fix prior renovations which took away from the historical accuracy of the towers Architects were assigned to restore the distorted lighting scheme with original translucent glass replace the deteriorating travertine plaza which connects the two towers and exchange for stones with more historical precision 8 Recognition edit nbsp The apartments as seen from Lake Shore Drive nbsp 860 880 Lake Shore Drive nbsp 880 Lake Shore Drive nbsp 880 Lake Shore Drive taken from 860 Lake Shore DriveThe buildings were finished in 1951 and were featured in a 1957 article in Life Magazine on Mies 9 In 1996 they became the first buildings designed by Mies van der Rohe to receive Chicago Landmark Status 10 The glass towers have been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1980 1 In June 2005 the United States Postal Service included the towers in the commemorative stamp program Masterworks of Modern Architecture wherein they were listed as one of the 12 outstanding examples of modern buildings 11 In celebration of the 2018 Illinois Bicentennial 860 880 Lake Shore Drive was selected as one of the Illinois 200 Great Places 12 by the American Institute of Architects Illinois component AIA Illinois Figures and statistics editThe twin towers are 26 stories high The buildings are 46 feet apart The steel skeletal frames rest on a 21 foot grid and are uniform in their design The building was originally designed for 860 to contain 90 three bedroom apartments and 880 to hold 158 one bedroom apartments Many of the units have been combined to enlarge living spaces 13 Zoned schools editResidents are zoned to Chicago Public Schools 14 Residents are zoned to Ogden School and Wells Community Academy High School 15 16 References edit a b National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service July 9 2010 860 880 Lake Shore Drive City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development Landmarks Division 2003 Archived from the original on May 3 2007 Retrieved May 14 2007 GmbH Emporis 860 Lake Shore Drive Chicago 116852 EMPORIS www emporis com dead link Handley John Looking Forward Is Chicago shifting into a modern mode Chicago Tribune 2 June 2002 Real Estate 1 ALDEN WHITMAN August 19 1969 Mies van der Rohe Dies at 83 Leader of Modern Architecture The New York Times Retrieved July 9 2014 Mies and the Mastodon New Republic 6 August 2001 25 30 Puente Moises Conversations With Mies p31 New York Princeton Architectural Press 2008 Moderisms s siren song restored AIArchitect 2008 Retrieved March 27 2008 Emergence of a Master Architect LIFE Magazine 1957 Retrieved March 29 2017 Chicago Architecture Center www architecture org Retrieved September 14 2021 The 2008 Commemorative Stamp Program USPS 2004 Archived from the original on March 25 2008 Retrieved March 27 2008 Waldinger Mike January 30 2018 The proud history of architecture in Illinois Springfield Business Journal Retrieved January 30 2018 Mies on Lake Shore Drive ArchitectureWeekdate 2004 Archived from the original on March 4 2008 Retrieved March 27 2008 Geographic Information Systems Archived 2008 11 06 at the Wayback Machine Chicago Public Schools Retrieved on September 17 2009 Near North West Central Elementary Schools Archived 2009 06 12 at the Wayback Machine Chicago Public Schools Retrieved on September 17 2009 West Central South High Schools Archived 2013 05 17 at the Wayback Machine Chicago Public Schools Retrieved on September 17 2009 External links edit nbsp Media related to 860 880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments at Wikimedia Commons Chicago Landmarks Emporis Article and photos by a t architecture publishers IIT Mies Society page on 860 880 Lake Shore Drive 860 880 Lake Shore Drive website Official site of 860 880 Owner Tenants and Trust The Glass House 860 880 Lake Shore Drive A Home for Gracious Living 1957 brochure Chicago s Glass Houses Restoring the Recent Past at 860 880 Lake Shore Drive 2009 article Illinois Great Places 860 880 Lake Shore Drive Society of Architectural Historians SAH ARCHIPEDIA entry on 860 880 Lake Shore Drive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 860 880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments amp oldid 1152470332, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
