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The expanding skyline of Chicago's Gold Coast neighbourhood is commanding attention, and one of its most interesting urban interventions is already turning heads. Most of the 1924-built Hotel Cedar at 1118 North State Street has been demolished, but crews have carefully disassembled the ornate brick and terra cotta attributes of the front facade. To be stored offsite and polished, the facade will be pasted onto the base of the site's successor, an 18-storey Viceroy Hotel by Convexity Properties.
The tower to be built behind the restored facade has been designed by Goettsch Partners. Visitors will be greeted into the hotel by a three-storey lobby space lying adjacent to a restaurant and lounge. Since the new edifice will be set back from the old hotel, a large rooftop terrace is created. This fourth floor space will be connected to a ballroom and conference facilities. Finally, a pool and open-air deck will cap the new structure, with perimeter glazing providing wind protection and privacy.
A high-quality glass curtain wall, aluminum panels, and charcoal brick comprise the hotel tower's primary material elements. The three-dimensional cladding envelope is affixed to the jagged concrete floor plates, creating a shimmering building that emits changing luminous properties.
Photos by Forum contributor harryc show construction reaching the eighth storey of the currently unclad tower. The most exciting bits of the process — the arrival of the glazing panels and the re-application of the old facade — are still to come, so this will be an interesting development to watch unfold.
Additional images and information can be found in the Database file linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion or share your photos? Check out the associated Forum thread or leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
