Tneme-News

CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE REPRESENTS A ‘FUSION’ OF DIVERSE STYLES

In this first installment of a new Architectural Tour series, Tnemec E-News focuses on the diverse and historic architecture of the “Windy City,” which recently concluded its centennial celebration of the “Plan of ” created in 1909 by architect Daniel Burnham. Commissioned by the city’s Commercial Club, Burnham and the plan’s co-author, Edward Bennett, developed a visionary blueprint for making Chicago one of the most livable and prosperous cities of the 20th century. Today, the Burnham plan continues to inspire urban planners and developers across the country to expand green space and build upon existing infrastructure to make cities more aesthetically pleasing.

A spectacular lakefront, open spaces like Grant Park, and “green corridors” were all envisioned by the plan, which led to a marketing initiative by Chicago’s civic leaders that continued for decades. This effort fueled the development Within this environment, an exciting mix of historic and of North Michigan Avenue, Wacker Drive, and Chicago’s modern architecture has evolved into a melting pot of remarkable lakefront parks as described in the following designs such as the 30-story Wrigley Building representing excerpt from Encyclopedia of Chicago: “a fusion of French Renaissance and Spanish Revival styles,” according to Chicago Architecture. Constructed between One of the plan’s most prescient recommendations was for 1919 and 1925, the Wrigley Building is credited “with what would become, in Wacker Drive, the modern world’s first spurring new development along Michigan Avenue north double-level boulevard for regular and commercial traffic. of the that made the city what it is today,” The Chicago River would be straightened and enhanced Chicago Architecture reported. for more efficient water transportation and river-borne commerce. The stations and tracks of competing rail lines Continued on back. would be consolidated into several train stations. A lakefront park system would run 20 miles along Lake Michigan. The elegant, formal downtown would culminate in a refurbished Grant Park that would be eastwardly inflected toward a new inner harbor with breakwater causeways stretching far into the lake. At the southern edges of this central park would rise such grandly neoclassical buildings as the Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum of Natural History, counterpoints to the Art Institute of Chicago on the park’s northern edge. The Wrigley Building was designed by Graham, Anderson, 1986 to 1988, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s twin Lake Probst & White architectural firm, which also designed the Shore towers (see related article). Among the city’s most impressive Chicago History Museum, Chicago Union Station, recognized tall buildings is the 44-story CNA Center with its and the popular Shedd Aquarium, which each year attracts red exterior featuring a fluoropolymer coating system from approximately 2 million visitors. In addition to the original Tnemec. “Whenever you see the Chicago skyline, there’s aquarium constructed between 1925 and 1931 in classic this lone red building,” according to Wascher. “From a color Greek style, a four-level marine mammal pavilion was perspective, it’s one of a kind.” designed by the architectural firm of Lohan and Associates. “A huge expanse of curved glass and steel is the backdrop More than 2,300 gallons of coatings were required for the for the pavilion’s 3-million gallon whale tank,” reported 1.3-million-square-foot red tower, which was built in 1972. Tnemec coating consultant Chris Wascher. “Saltwater, high The project was completed in two phases. The first phase humidity, and condensation are a constant problem on an consisted of overcoating the exterior steel substrate on enclosed water body this size, so the top 42 stories of the 44-story to protect the tons of exposed steel high-rise, as well as aluminum and truss work, a Tnemec zinc/epoxy/ galvanized louvers located mid-way urethane system was specified.” up the building and on its top two levels. The exterior steel was spot- The Oceanarium, built in 1987 primed with Series 135 Chembuild, on 1.8 acres of lake-fill on Lake a modified polyamidoamine epoxy, Michigan, which houses beluga followed by an intermediate coat whales, dolphins, and other animals, of Series 73. The finish coat was required more than 2,600 gallons Series 1072 Fluoronar, an advanced of coatings for the 170,000-square- thermoset solution fluoropolymer, feet of space. The project featured in the custom color “CNA Red.” a coating system of Series 90-97 Aluminum and galvanized metal Tneme-Zinc, a zinc-rich urethane substrates were primed with primer; an intermediate coat of Series Chembuild and finished with 66 Hi-Build Epoxoline, a polyamide Fluoronar in CNA Red as well. The epoxy; and a finish coat of Series 73 lower two levels of the building Endura-Shield, an aliphatic acrylic required the removal of exterior polyurethane. coatings down to bare steel, followed by a prime coat of Series 90-97, an Work on the animal life support intermediate coat of Series 135 and operations areas, which started a finish coat of Series 1072 in CNA in the fall of 2008 and concluded in early 2009, required Red. “Few people know the tower isn’t the original CNA more than 330 gallons of coatings. The project featured building,” Wascher added. “The first CNA tower was the a coating system of Series 201 Epoxoprime, a polyamine building immediately to its north, which was also painted epoxy primer, a troweled mortar coat of Series 237 Power- with Tnemec products approximately 11 years ago.” Tread at 1/4” thickness, and a grout finish coat of Series 280 Tneme-Glaze, also a polyamine epoxy. Series 248 Everthane, For a schedule of walking tours of Chicago’s historic a moisture cured urethane, was also selected for use in the downtown , visit the Chicago Architecture food preparation areas. Foundation’s Web site. In addition to its tours, the foundation presents exhibitions, lectures, youth and adult education Chicago is also the birthplace of the where programs, many of which are open to the public free of innovations in design technology have evolved. Among the charge. city’s are landmarks like Burnham and John Wellborn Root’s Rookery, which was constructed from Originally included in the January 2010 E-News.

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