Thursday, January 28, 2010

River Cottages - by Harry Weese



River Cottage..
Construction finish: 1990
Architect: Harry Weese Associates
Location: 357-365 North Canal Street.




The architect Harry Weese is famous for incorporating triangular and circular patterns in his designs, which breaks away from the usual orthogonal grid patterns. The triangular patterns is visible everywhere in this building.


Weese used it's riverside location to incorporate nautical life in everyday life of residents, by providing for boat docking facilities..


Harry Weeses [1915-1998] was born in Evanston, Illinois.
Some of his well known works in Chicago includes:
  •  200 S Wacker Drive..
  •  Marriott Hotel, Magnificient Mile
  •  Swissoetel..
  •  Time Life building..
  •  Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist..
  •  The first loft conversion in Chicago at Fulton House..
  •  The Metropolitan Correctional Center..
  •  Sterling Morton Library at the Morton Arboretum..
Weese also led numerous restoration projects including..
  •  Louis Sullivan's Auditorium Building in Chicago..
  •  Field Museum of Natural History..
  •  Orchestra Hall..



Fulton House Condominiums..
Address: 345 N Canal, Chicago, IL 60606 ..
Fulton House was the first loft conversion in Chicago of an industrial warehouse to a residential apartment [in 1981] and it was done by the same architect Harry Weese.
Fulton House is just next to the River Cottages, although it's a much older building. It was originally built in the mid 1890's, by Frank Abbott as a 15-story tall building. In 1908 a 16th floor was added and it was converted to a cold-storage warehouse, named North American Cold Storage Warehouse. At that time the windows did not exist. In 1981 it was converted to condominiums by Harry Weese & Associates architects..

The Metropolitan Correctional Center..
Address: 71 W. Van Buren St.
Architect: Harry Weese Associates
Completed: 1975
This reflects the triangular design patter that Weese incorporated in many of his buildings.

Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist..
Address: 55 E Wacker Drive, at Wabash Avenue..
Architect: Harry Weese
Completed: 1968
An example of Weese use of circular pattern ..

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