Some members of Chicago’s tech and business communities say Google’s expansion into the Thompson Center shows the city’s potential to grow into a bigger tech hub.
Thompson Center
Google’s announcement that it would take the Helmut Jahn-designed structure off the state of Illinois’ hands caps a years-long effort to figure out what to do with 1.2-million-square-foot building at Randolph and LaSalle streets with its distinctive red-and-blue accented steel frame.
Late last week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced a deal to sell the love-it-or-hate it state building downtown to the Prime Group for $70 million. The development firm plans to overhaul the Helmut Jahn-designed structure rather than demolish it and start anew, as others had proposed.
There’s nothing bashful or traditional about the Thompson Center, so it should come as no surprise that finalists’ designs in a competition to reimagine the building include a proposal for an indoor water park. Here’s a look at each of the designs.
The measure unanimously advanced by aldermen Tuesday would pave the way for the sale of the much beloved and equally loathed James R. Thompson Center in the heart of the Loop.
Helmut Jahn, a prominent German architect who designed an Illinois state government building and worked on the design of the FBI headquarters in Washington, was killed when two vehicles struck the bicycle he was riding outside Chicago.
The preservation organization has released its annual list of “most endangered” historic places for 2020. The Thompson Center and Jackson Park are both making their fourth appearance, which is either a good or bad sign.
The state says the building is too expensive to maintain and repair, but architectural activists are determined to highlight its unique features and its role in the city’s past, present and future.
The 17-story, curved-glass structure opened in May 1985 to house state offices. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a measure in April authorizing the sale of the building, which has been hailed for its architecture but derided for its functionality.
The James R. Thompson Center has been controversial since it landed in the Loop in 1985. Now, a new layer of controversy has been added to the building’s history: its potential sale.
“It’s a difficult day for us, but we will get through it,” an emotional Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Tuesday following the shooting death of 18th District Commander Paul Bauer.
Gov. Bruce Rauner says property taxes generated from the sale of the James R. Thompson Center could top $45 million per year, and Republican-backed legislation introduced Friday would send every one of those dollars to Chicago Public Schools.
What does the future hold for Helmut Jahn’s 16-story Loop office building?
Preservation Chicago has released its annual list of the most endangered buildings in Chicago, a list they usually call “the Chicago Seven” – but for the first time in 14 years, the organization has included an eighth structure.
While a monthslong architecture celebration underway in Chicago, there are some big changes in store for the city’s architectural landscape. We discuss the planned and potential changes to the city’s skyline with Lee Bey, host of Rivet Radio’s Architecture360; and architect and author Edward Keegan.
The Thompson Center is for sale. Gov. Rauner says the iconic building has become a costly and inefficient albatross for Illinois. Just how much can the state get for it, and what does the renowned architect who designed it have to say about its future?
