Facadectomy on South Michigan

The ghostly glass facade of Columbia College's renovated 618 S Michigan building is firmly in place, and Lynn Becker at ArchitectureChicago PLUS gives it high marks for originality and execution. The glass curtain wall floats just a wee bit above the raw "Burnhamesque" facade. Embedded concrete designs were digitally construed to mimic the old facade, too. The concrete elements serve a dual purpose: they also limit the building's threat to migratory birds. Portions of the building are opening in the next week, including a new gallery called The Arcade. [ArchitectureChicago PLUS, previously]