United Continental Headquarters in Chicago, Illinois by Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura

Article source: Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura

The project for this 50-storey office block sought to favour the possibility of a panoramic view over the city, so that there is an evident predominance of glass on the façade while nevertheless avoiding the formulaic glass tower of arbitrary forms. The existence of the American tradition of skyscraper construction, with some especially attractive examples inChicago, suggested the need to reestablish a dialogue between the classicism of stone and the high-tech of glass.

Image Courtesy © Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura

• Architects: Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura
• Project: United Continental Headquarters
• Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA
• BRIEF: 50 storey offices building
• CLIENT: The Prime Group, Inc.
• PROJECT TEAM: Rogelio Jiménez, Nabil Gholam, Rodrigo Bilbao, John Oleksak, Zoran Balog
• ASSOCIATED ARCHITECT: De Stefano/Goetsch Ltd.
• STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Cohen-Barreto-Marchertas, Inc.

Image Courtesy © Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura

• STRUCTURE: Concrete shear core with steel frame outside of core.
• HEIGHT: Fifty (50) stories.
• ELEVATORS: 21
• AWARDS: The Chicago Lighting Institute Award of Merit to the lighting installation in 1992.
• COST: $ 80,000,000
• DATE PROJECT: 1988-1990
• DATE COMPLETION: 1992 (construction begun in 1990)
• TOTAL FLOOR AREA: 110.000 m²

Image Courtesy © Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura

The façade reveals a design of classical proportions which recalls Giotto’s campanile inFlorencecathedral, divided into different levels linked together by columns. Particular attention has been devoted to the detailing and the appearance of the ground floor, the interior of which functions as an atrium, while the upper floors form a classically-proportioned temple on the roof. The building as a whole expresses the desire to inscribe itself in the existing urban context and makes its own distinctive contribution to theChicagoskyline.

Image Courtesy © Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura

Image Courtesy © Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura

Image Courtesy © Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura

Image Courtesy © Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura

Image Courtesy © Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura

Image Courtesy © Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura

Image Courtesy © Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura

Tags: Chicago, Illinois

Category: Headquarters

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