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It has been six months since our last update, and SMASHotels' latest Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel in Chicago, known as 224 E Ontario, has since topped off and is now receiving the first instances of cladding at its base.
Designed by Koo and Associates, the structure is wedged within a remarkably slender plot of land between an historic brownstone and a modern highrise. The development is part of the ongoing urban transformation of Chicago's Streeterville district just north of The Loop.
With 195 rooms, the hotel will also include a restaurant and lounge at ground level, with space left over throughout the building for a meeting space, business centre, and gym. The Marriott Autograph Collection was launched in Savannah, Georgia, in 2010, and has since expanded to include more than 100 properties all around the world.
To be composed from a series of randomly shaded grey perforated metal panels, the facade of the tower has been designed to take on the aesthetic of an embossed rain screen, the effect of which will be juxtaposed with the planned graphic art that will be featured upon several window panes. Viewed in the rendering below, the full effect can be best appreciated, with the finished result adding a pop of colour to an otherwise grey facade.
Once complete, 224 E Ontario will be a welcome addition to the neighbourhood, bringing an influx of tourists and business travellers to up-and-coming Streeterville. Working with, rather than against, the historic character of the area, the continued presence of the historic brownstone will serve as a reminder of Chicago's not so distant past.
SkyriseCities will be sure to return to this project as progress continues. For more information, check out the associated Database file and Forum thread, and as always, feel free to join the conversation in the comments section below.
