There are plenty of blots on the landscape from our last building boom. But isn't there usually an unfavorable ratio of crap to quality in the built world? At least Chicago got some winning structures in the end, like Aqua, Contemporaine and 235 W Van Buren. Completed in 2009, 235 W Van Buren is, like River North's Contemporaine, the work of Perkins + Will, led by Design Chief Ralph Johnson. Taken in at a near sharp angle, the balconies overwhelm the structure, which winds up looking a bit like Jenga. Taken from afar, the building resembles a piece of circuitry or data chip with a raw, almost deconstructed quality. The lobby has 25-foot ceilings and slate, steel, and glass finishes. The units are calm and refined, featuring exposed concrete. But don't take it from us. Below is a listed 2BR unit on a high floor. It's asking $539,900. An MLS search dredged up a couple dozen more available units of all shapes and sizes. Further intrigued? YoChicago has a cool mid-construction video from '09.
·Listing: 235 W Van Buren St. #4613 [Estately]
·Up Close and Personal with 235 W Van Buren [YoChicago]
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