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Last week I began Intersections, a new series of posts focused on intersections within the Loop, and what I see from them. For my second entry, I venture only three blocks north to the intersection of Randolph and Wacker. This intersection played important role in my first year in Chicago because I had the misfortune of working for an awful company (that has since been indicted by the SEC for cookin the books) in what is perhaps, the ugliest building on Wacker Drive (151 N Wacker, the tan building on the right). They were located there for the address only.
I will begin with this shot looking north, taken during rush hour while standing on the median.
Across the street from where I used to work is 150 N Wacker. This was another ugly duckling on the drive, but several years ago, the simple act of sheathing the parking floors in a nice perforated metal, updating the lobby, and giving it an overall paint job, made for drastic improvement. I don’t mind the building now.
Starbucks on the south end of the building has this nice little outdoor space with a sliver of a river view.
A close up of the perforated covering used to hide the parking floors.
Once the home of a major pharmaceutical company (Anybody know who the company was?), 110 N Wacker (1961) now home to General Growth is a good example of late international design. Standing on the corner, I captured this reflection on the black granite wall, of Randolph Street leading up to the bridge.
The ramp leading to Lower Wacker on the south side of the intersection. This is where the “Revive Wacker Drive” reconstruction of a few years ago ended.
