HONOR
DISTINGUISHED BUILDING
Chicago, Illinois
| Architect: | Eckenhoff Saunders Architects Inc. |
| Client/Owner: | Unicom Thermal Technologies |
| Developer : | JPS Interests |
| General Contractor: | Pepper Construction Co. |
| Consultants: | Thornton Tomasetti Cohen Barreto Marchertas, Environmental Systems Design Inc. (MEP) |
| Photographer: | Anthony May |
The Unicom Thermal Technologies plant
at State and Adams Streets is the first
of six plants to be located in the Loop
district of Chicago. The system
features a subgrade water distribution
network that provides chilled water
(from ice melt) to approximately 50
million feet of existing buildings,
using non-CFC based refrigerants.The plant is in the heart of Chicago's
historic State Street retail district,
so the street level of this building
has all the features of a retail space:
large windows, signage and a sidewalk
canopy. The corner entry and a
glass-block tower with an electronic sign
create a strong corner presence, similar
to Louis Sullivan's nearby Carson Pirie
Scott Building. The cell-like exterior,
light colors and multitextured precast
skin express the building's structural
frame, and refer to the ice tanks although
they are not directly visible. At night,
blue lights signify the making of ice.
The cooling tower screens, like the
entire building, have both a functional
and a compositional basis: they mask
water and fan noise, and they act as
a crown to the main facade.
"It's extraordinary what has been done to make the plant fit into this retail district." -Jury Comment
