Project: Chicago Tribune Tower
Where: Chicago, Illinois
When: Fall 2012
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An international competition to design a headquarters building for the Chicago Tribune Newspaper was held in 1922 to mark the 75th year of publication. Now, 90 years after the initial competition, a conceptual competition was held in order to reflect 21st century architecture and our current times. Unlike the 1922 competition, but similar to the 1980 competition, the goal was to reflect on the modern high-rise architecture of the 21st century. Despite the freedom my design was to remain plausible.
Chicago has claimed its fame as the “windy city.” But how many know that the earliest reference of its title was located in an article Written in 1858 in the Chicago Tribune. I wanted my design to exaggerate the essence of Chicago, by emphasizing the function of wind. This structure imitates the shape of a solar powered wind turbine. And to underline the idea of sustainability, there are translucent photovoltaic panels aligned as curtain walls to regenerate energy using a renewable source.