May-Jun08 | Answers to Zurich | George Pappageorge

George Pappageorge, FAIA (right), and Zurich Esposito.

Photo by Joseph Mohan | MDR Photography

Pappageorge/Haymes has designed a trio of high-rises for the south rim of Grant Park, with a fourth expected. They are (from left): the nearly complete One Museum Park East; One Museum Park West, now under construction; the proposed Grant Park Tower 3; and Grant Park Tower 4, at this stage only a place-holder, not yet designed.

Image by Studio JS

One Museum Park Floor plan

Zurich Esposito talks to George Pappageorge, FAIA, about being an architecture student in the '70s; his 27-year partnership with David Haymes, AIA; and the economy.

Z: You are certainly a go-to man for many developers. What about the way you approach your projects do they find so appealing? Are you just charming to work with?

G: Well, it's nice to think that I'm charming but let's not kid ourselves. I like to think that we are successful at solving problems by looking at projects from several different points of view. Understanding the marketplace and what would be sellable and buildable on time and on budget is something that we take very seriously. Our firm has an intimate, boutique-like attitude and environment. This can make clients comfortable and feel as if they have more of a participatory role in the design and the outcome of their projects.

Z: Your project on the south edge of Grant Park is very impressive, and what a site. The clean lines and surfaces of the curtain wall, and the graceful integration of balconies, impress me most of all. Blair Kamin recently compared it to something out of Buck Rogers—although he may not have meant it as a compliment. What was the project's inspiration?

G: The project is one of a series of four towers that, as an ensemble, will solidify the south wall of Grant Park. It's a coveted site for any architect. We worked with our developer to allow us to taper the building as it went upward and to take into account this multi-faceted plan where each side of the building is different, so, depending on which side you're looking at, you'd get these dramatically unique views of the tower. We thought that this would be a unique and successful approach—one that works positively in contrast to, say, the Aon Building's beautiful and iconic rectilinear massing across the park.

Z: Two of your new projects are composed of sibling towers. What do you particularly like about this two-tower format? What are the advantages?

G: 600 N. Lake Shore Drive for the Belgravia Group is our first in the twin tower format. A single tower would have been imposing, and would have had cast a large shadow on the beach. The twin tower format allows for more space between buildings and creates slender, more graceful architecture that speaks more to the skyscraper ideal. The smaller floor plates, with smaller corridor systems, result in buildings that are more intimate, and have more opportunities for corner units that really take advantage of multiple exposures. Additionally, there are financial risk management advantages, which are very important in the development equation.

Z: You graduated from UIC in 1978. What was it like to be an architecture student in Chicago at the time?

G: As far as architecture goes, it was kind of an unsettled time; it seemed that our school was derived of mostly young professors in small practices, working in Chicago. There wasn't a strong ideological format for the school, so it really centered on the kind of practice that each individual architect/professor may have had at the time. Charles Moore, the early work of Frank Gehry, and architectural giants like Kahn, Mies [van der Rohe], and Corbusier were all influences to me. Overall, the movement toward post-modern architecture, reinterpreting the past and constructing projects that were sympathetic toward the urban environment, was predominant. Many of the projects we designed as students were urban in-fill projects, heavily focusing us on smaller scale urban design, which eventually became the foundation of my practice.

Z: You and your partner Dave both worked for Ken Schroeder, FAIA, before establishing your firm. What inspired you to go out on your own?

G: I became involved with Ken Schroeder while I was working on my thesis project, a design/build two-flat project at 1014 Oakdale that David Haymes also worked on. Ken was a good advisor to me during this project, and as soon as it was finished, we talked about working together. Ken gave us the opportunity to work very independently. We learned a lot quickly. After one of our early projects together, a loft unit on Orchard, was featured on the cover of Metropolitan Home, we decided to start our own firm. We were only 27 years old at the time, making about $16,000 a year, so it didn't seem very risky. And Ken is still a very good friend.

Over the past 27 years, many young architects have come to work for us and we've helped start many firms. I say that because we empower architects at a young age to become very involved with the complete process and as a result they feel that they can do that on their own. The two that probably have done the most work in Chicago since then would be Brininstool and Lynch, and Hartshorne & Plunkard. We've looked upon all these architects that have come through our firm as colleagues and friends, not as competitors.

Z: How is the depressed residential market affecting your business? You've been doing this a long time—care to make any predictions about the residential market?

G: Certainly Chicago has gone through—for us—the third recession in the residential market. It's often hit the East and West Coasts significantly harder in the past than it has hit Chicago, and we've done well over the years going through those tough periods.

This time, it might be a little bit different in the sense that Chicago had such a growth spurt in the last five years. There's a slight oversupply in our marketplace right now. But at the same time this oversupply has been created, some great new neighborhoods have been created; others have been improved. In the long run, we will benefit from the surge; Chicago is now one of the most attractive places to live in the nation.