It appears that the Aon Center has been a naughty building this holiday season, because it has received yet another lump of coal (read: antenna) again marring its dominating vertical facade. The top of the Aon now looks like this:
We may recall that previously the building received its first antenna (see below) in July, 2009, an addition that Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin first investigated.
While I generally agree with Mr. Kamin's verdicts on buildings, he and I part ways on the Aon Center. Over the years I've come to love the Aon's strong verticality and elegant proportions and materials. It reminds me of a Minimalist artwork: strong and clean lines, cubic, emphasized materials.
The additional antennas wreck havoc on all of this, they throw off the proportions, the emphasized materials and generally are an intrusion. I can understand a property management company wanting to generate additional income by adding an antenna (the reason stated in Kamin's article), but why add it to the dominate South face, the side most visible? Why not any other facing? By adding antennas to the South face it does indeed take away from "the iconic stature of the building."
I wish that this one was "gift" that could be returned.
Filed under: Architecture, Chicago Art Blog, Controversy
Tags: Aon Center, architecture, Blair Kamin, Chicago, Chicago Tribune, Christmas, criticism, holiday, naughty
