860–880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments
Buildings at 860–880 Lake Shore Drive | |
Chicago Landmark | |
Chicago, Illinois | |
Coordinates | 41°53′55″N 87°37′7″W / 41.89861°N 87.61861°W |
---|---|
Area | 1.2 acres (0.49 ha) |
Built | 1949 |
Architect | Ludwig Mies van der Rohe |
Architectural style | International Style |
NRHP reference No. | 80001344[1] |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | August 28, 1980 |
Designated CL | June 10, 1996 |
860–880 Lake Shore Drive is a twin pair of glass-and-steel apartment towers on N.
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
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.
Controversy
This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2018) |
This building, like many of his Chicago high-rise structures, caused controversy in the pure minimalist community due to its
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
Recognition
- 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 statistics
- 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]
Zoned schools
Residents are zoned to Chicago Public Schools.[14] Residents are zoned to Ogden School and Wells Community Academy High School.[15][16]
References
- ^ 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 June 2, 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 August 6, 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
Media related to 860–880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments at Wikimedia Commons