Trump Times

My bank's "Neighborhood News and Events" flyer that I got in the mail yesterday contains a brief mention of the design for Trump Tower in Chicago, to be located on the site of the current Sun Times building. While old news, the mention is a sign of things moving ahead for Mr. Trump and his inevitable presence in the Chicago skyline.

Certainly, the Sun Times building is no architectural beauty, but the seven-story building's presence on the north side of the river is a relief in the otherwise towering surroundings. A small park just north of the building is a pleasant place to have lunch, unobstructed sunlight pouring in over the small building. Trump Tower would definitely have an impact on the space, perhaps making it more dark and claustrophobic. The impact of the 90-story tower must be a concern of the architect, SOM, or maybe this criticism was levied against them, since Trump Tower's web page only features pedestrian views in the Building Perspectives of the Architectural Design section.



Personally, I like the Sun Times building, both for the reasons above and the way Wabash Avenue bends around the building, breaking up the city grid in a logical place, next to the river. But the Sun Times prints its newspaper off-site and doesn't have any need for the building and its extremely valuable land. SOM's design appears graceful in its curving form and tapered massing, but its contribution to its context still remains to be seen.