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Landmarks Illinois believe they have the answer to realizing the vast potential of Chicago's retro James R. Thompson Center. The Helmut Jahn-designed facility, built in 1985, has found itself on the nonprofit's list of most endangered buildings for the second year in a row, going so far as to commission renderings that demonstrate how the iconic glass-faced structure could be preserved and built upon.
Landmarks Illinois engaged Helmut Jahn, the building's original architect, to devise a conceptual design for a supertall hotel, office and residential tower rising from the southwest corner of the site. The Thompson Center itself would also undergo a transformation of its signature atrium and street-level plaza. Portions of the building's entrance would be opened up, allowing a public space not unlike Berlin's Sony Center, also conceived by Jahn, to flourish.
The nonprofit group argues the redevelopment could capitalize on Federal Historic Tax Credits due to the building's eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Landmarks Illinois also proposes to restore many of the structure's original features, including exterior granite panels and columns.
The proposal sits at odds with another developed by the state, with Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner pushing to sell the property for redevelopment and collect the windfall. They released renderings of their own early last year showing a crystalline 115-storey addition that would become the tallest building in the city.
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