Yesterday, big news hit the Chicago development and architecture world, but it caused nearly everyone to ask the same question - is Jeanne Gang the architect behind the newly unveiled supertall tower? At this point, there has been neither confirmation, nor denial, however all clues point to Studio Gang. News of the 89 story, $900 million tower first broke over in China and quickly made its way over to the US. In the announcement on developer Wanda Group's website and in an article published by Chinese news outlet Sina Corp., a rendering was included, but was not credited, leading many in the Chicago architecture world scrambling to put the pieces together. After connecting the dots, all indicators point directly to Studio Gang.
The tower even matches a description mentioned in a New Yorker profile of Jeanne Gang that was published back in May. However, the Chicago-based architecture outfit has kept quiet. Gang herself has declined requests for comment on the new tower. Could this signal a botched media rollout for the new tower? It's very likely. A spokesperson for City Hall has even stated that they were not aware that the announcement was coming. Perhaps the Chinese-based developer unveiled the news within their country, but did not coordinate with their US-based architects for a unified media push. News travels very quickly these days. At this point, it's all speculation until either Magellan Development, Wanda Group or Studio Gang speaks up. We'll have to wait just a little longer for more details to emerge.
·Is This Wild Supertall the Next Jeanne Gang Tower for Lakeshore East? [Curbed Chicago]
·Is Jeanne Gang the mystery architect behind the plan for this giant tower? [Crain's]
Loading comments...