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 Photograph © Wayne Lorentz/Artefaqs Corporation  Photograph © Wayne Lorentz/Artefaqs Corporation
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Swissôtel| Formerly: | Swiss Grand Hotel |
At the far end of the Illinois Center complex is the best building of the bunch. The Swissotel is a large silver glass tower with a triangular form that gives it interesting views both from within and without. The triangle shape is necessitated by the peculiarities of the building site. It also has the effect of humanizing what would be yet another dark glass box. In that sense, the silvered windows provide an effective transition between the dark glowering office blocks at the city end of the Illinois Center and the light and open spaces available as the city reaches the extremities of Lake Michigan.
It's said that there are no bad views from this Swisshotel. Rooms offer lake, river, and city vistas. But there are some places with no windows at all. Most notably, one of the restaurants which is below street level.
But it's the triangle that gets all the attention. Astute observers of Chicago architecture probably sense a link between this hotel and the similarly triangle-shaped Metropolitan Correctional Center. That link is local architectural star Harry Weese. It was his mind that created both of these buildings 11 years apart. Just like the jail, a triangle was perfect for this project in order to minimize hallway lengths. Long tunnel-like hallways are a security risk in jails. In hotels they are merely an aesthetic liability.
* - July 1, 1986: The developer unveild plans for this building.
- September 18, 1986: Groundbreaking.
- October 4, 1988: A charity grand opening gala was held with $100,000 in proceeds raised to expand a children's hospital.
- February 20, 1994: 16 people were hurt when they squeezed into and overloaded an elevator marked for only ten. Their extra weight caused the elevator to descend too fast. The emergency brakes activated, but the elevator car was only stopped by a hydraulic plunger at the bottom of the shaft. The elevator recently passed inspection and was in compliance with all ordinances. The accident was blamed on impatient conventioneers.
- April 18, 2007: Ground was broken for a $47 million expansion of this hotel, adding 50,000 square feet of meeting space.
- The building was built by Morse/Diesel of Illinois.
- The building points north so that two sides face the river, providing perpetually unobstructed views.
- This building extends seven stories below street level.
"We have the understanding that people are not coming to Chicago to stay at the Swissotel; they are coming to experience the city." -Nicole Jachimiak, Swissotel sales and marketing manager, Chicago Tribune , January 21, 2004 Talk about this building with other architecture enthusiasts method='post' action='/Building.php?ID=1167#Rate'>Current rating:  70% name='Rating' id='Rating' value='Praise' class='Plain'> name='Rating' id='Rating' value='Raze' class='Plain'>
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 There is one comment. Julia - Tuesday, November 13th, 2007 @ 5:40pm  |
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Wow...that's nearly identical to WTC7 in New York City. 
