Ground Floor: The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Chicago
Location: Chicago, Illinois
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Sharephotos by: Courtesy The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.
August 1, 2008
Born in France and schooled in Montreal, architect Lucien Lagrange does not discuss high-rise buildings in quite the same way as his Chicago contemporaries. Nothing about the exterior "skin," the cross bracing, or form following function will be heard from this urban—and urbane—designer. Instead Lagrange discusses the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Chicago as if it were a bespoke suit. "It fits perfectly into its context on the avenue," says Lagrange, who has lived and worked in the city for 30 years.The avenue he speaks of is the Magnificent Mile, an unparalleled thoroughfare running through the heart of downtown Chicago that offers shopping, entertainment, and high-rise living. While the Ritz-Carlton building is set among the glass-and-steel boxes of recent years, it looks to 1860s Paris to find its inspiration. "At that time, the boulevards became lined with finely detailed blocks of apartments sheathed in limestone and laid out with dramatic views, high ceilings, and thoughtful floor plans," explains the architect.
Lagrange used the same strategies for the 86 units stacked on the upper 27 floors of the building’s 40 stories. Tall, trimmed-out rooms overlooking the glittering skyline are linked together by the formal and traditional structural design. All of the 15 different floor plans include nearly 10-foot-tall ceilings, large balconies, and interior details such as five-and-a-half-inch-wide plank wood flooring, Waterworks kitchen and bathroom fixtures, and Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances.
Already housed on the site is the eight-story Farwell Building, which was built in the 1920s by Philip Maher. To incorporate the historic building into his plan, Lagrange wrapped the building’s base in limestone and granite, which evolves into detailed architectural concrete on the upper floors.
The units, ranging from 1,370 to 6,500 square feet and priced from $1.4 million to about $13 million, are scheduled for completion in 2010. Condominium owners are automatically members of the private Residence Club, which occupies the building’s 10th floor and includes a spa, a fitness center, a boardroom, a dining room, a catering kitchen, a salon, a billiards room with a wine cellar, and a screening room—all with extravagant finishes and old-world detail. There also is valet parking on floors three through nine, with room for 160 cars.
"The building takes design ideas from Second Empire Paris and Art Deco Chicago," Lagrange says, "and blends them perfectly with the amenities we love from the 21st century."
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Chicago, 312.242.5980, www.theresidenceschicago.com
