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HISTORY OF BIG SUR COAST

  A new dawn:              Locals had long called for a road along the coast to aid shipwreck victims and improve access to isolated communities.  Construction started in 1919, and 18 years, 32 tonnes of dynamite and 33 bridges later, the Big Sur stretch of California Highway One was complete.               The implausible route, with its myriad twists and turns and dramatic drop-offs, became an instant classic.  The author and painter Henry Miller fled to Big Sur in 1944 and stayed for nearly two decades.  Photographer Edward Weston and Beat Generation bard Jack Kerouac fell under its spell.  By the late 1960’s San Francisco’s counterculture revolution had swept down to Big Sur, and the likes of Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell performed on the cliff tops.              ...
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AQUA TOWER

 Ripple effect:

Aqua Tower


                      Chicago’s Aqua Building is a sublime continuation of this tradition.  Wave after wave of balconies curve around the 82-storey building as it rises into the sky, producing a rippling effect quite unlike Chicago’s usual square-cut style.  Between the waves, planes of smooth glass mimic the surface of still water and glint in the sunlight.  From inside there are unique and stunning views of Lake Michigan and the city.  From street level, the facade resembles a multi-layered rock formation.  From any angle, the 250m (820ft) high building is more sculpture than skyscraper, its appearance changing with the light at different times of the day.

                       The balconies, some of which stretch outwards as much as 3.7m (12ft), shade the facade from the sun and reduce the need for air-conditioning in summer.  In autumn and winter, famously windy in Chicago, they break up wind streams so that the tower needs less resistance against them.  Architect Jeanne Gang, a bird lover, even took into account how birds perceive their environment in order to help them avoid collisions with the building.  The irregular pattern created by the balconies and windows is more visible to birds than a regular repeating pattern of glass panes.   

New technology:

                       The striking design is combined with the latest in sustainable technology.  Visitors arriving by electric car find a public charging station in the building, and the apartments are equipped with energy-efficient lighting.

                        The tower also display its green credentials on the roof of the three storey podium around the base of the tower.  This is the largest green roof in Chicago and features a pool, hot tubs and a running track.  Its beds are planted with succulents, grass and shrubs that absorb water.  When the sun shines, the water evaporates, cooling the air and reducing the urban heat-island effect.  Perhaps here more than anywhere else in this remarkably modern building, one sees how technology can make life better for people while lessening impact on the planet, and how relevant Le Corbusier’s principles of design still are today.                     
Location: 225 N Columbus Dr, Chicago, IL 60601, USA

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