WRITTEN BY Vuk Vujovic, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP BD+C, and Douglas Ogurek, LEED AP BD+C 42 RETROFIT // September October 2012
neW FACE
F
ive years ago, the Chicago Spire was the talk of the town. The 2,000-foot-tall residential tower would crown an urban architectural ensemble that many con- sider to be the world’s finest, and it would
solidify Chicago’s claim to “the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.” Then came the 2008 economic meltdown, and with it market volatility, controversy and lawsuits. Dreams of the soaring new icon along Chicago’s famed skyline evaporated along with fund- ing. Today, Chicagoans have nothing to show for the Spire but a hole in the ground. High-profile aborted projects exemplify an econo-
my-induced stagnation of new construction that has gripped the nation since the global recession of 2008. Other U.S. cities have not fared much better than the
Savvy Developers and Building Owners Embrace Adaptive Reuse