hotel + conference center
illinois institute of technologyspring 2014 advanced studio
design of a hotel and conference center ëfloatingí over an electric plant in downtown Chicago.
The hotel and conference center, located at the edge of Chicagoís West Loop, is a harmony of atmospheres emulating the multi-sensorial experience of rain. The two main components are interconnected through a series of garden bridges surrounding an expansive atrium interspersed with collective spaces, serving as a place to see and be seen.
The pre-determined parameters of the site present the challenge of elevating the entire program 20ft above the existing electrical plant. This allows for a unique structural system that is expressed within the architecture of the building—the circulation bridges become catenary arches and the fire exits act as the main structural cores on all sides. Likewise, the perforated tensile roof connects both volumes, acting as a greenhouse enclosure for the many individual programs within the building.
Visual occurrences that unify the two programs are made possible through the cascading of the floors. The atmospheres of the conference center form what is a ìliving wallî that activates the street edge—a space communicating vertically, horizontally, with the street as well as with the adjacent building.
design
studio: metropolitan data with adv. steven brubaker
team: aleksandra kusznerko, alfred to
