ONEWEST BANK TOWERS

 

THE CRISIS

    The ongoing foreclosure epidemic that began in late 2006 in the U.S. continues to be a key factor in the global economic crisis, because it drains wealth from consumers and erodes the financial strength of banking institutions. Chicago weathered a third year of economic turmoil in 2009 with an average of one foreclosure filing every 22 minutes. Chicago’s high number of foreclosures impacts far more than the 23,200 borrowers who fell into foreclosure in 2009.

 

ONE WEST BANK TOWERS vs. CHICAGO SPIRE

    “Foreclosures” are not only an economy impact, they also increase strong social costs. Instead of the Chicago Spire supposed to be an icon of 1194 condominiums, we decide to turn almost the same amount of residences in foreclosure fillings. It creates the “One West Bank Tower”. In fact the One West Bank is at the seventh position of the Chicago’s top Foreclosing Lenders.

 

CONCEPT

    To design this “foreclosure” Tower, we used a Chicago’s district particularly affected by foreclosure cases. We choosed the 8300 block of S.Morgan Street Auburn/ Gresharn in Chicago.

    The idea is to consider the street as a main element which is rolling up above the « gap tower » until the 2000 feet high of the Chicago Spire. During its movement it brings all the houses, shops, activities and green areas composing the part of the district that we choose, changing their form in order to fit her new morphology.

 

AN URBAN COHERENCE

    In an urban coherence purpose, we created two towers:

    A residential tower placed above the “gap”, continuing the residential band situated on the site west part. And a commercial tower full of shopping mall, shops, activities...which is linking our site to the Navy Pier area and the Millennium Park.

    Together they create a « gate » for the Loop through the North Lake Shore Drive. 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equipe : K4 + Magalie MOBETIE

Situation : Chicago, USA

Programme : Commerce, Bureaux, Logements, Loisirs, Culture