Allen Richards' Blog: New Studio Gang Building Up For Approval This Week

Rendering of Solstice Hyde Park (Courtesy of Studio Gang Architects)

This Thursday, the Chicago Plan Commission will be asked to give its approval to another new Studio Gang building in the greater Hyde Park area.

Rendering of Solstice Hyde Park (Courtesy of Studio Gang Architects)

Studio Gang has been very active in the neighborhood over the last few years, starting with the renovation of the old Shoreland Hotel for Antheus Capital in 2014, then the recently opened 14-story mixed use building called City Hyde Park at 5105 South Harper Avenue, and the still under construction University of Chicago North Residence Hall.

This newest building in East Hyde Park, which goes by the name Solstice on the Park, will be a very visual addition to the area. It’s perched on East 56th Street, across from the Museum of Science and Industry. If you’ve ever visited the museum and been struck by how visible the Jackson Towers (5555 South Everett Avenue) and 1700 East 56th Street are, then you’ll definitely notice this one, too.

And perhaps that’s not all bad, considering the amount of science that Ms. Gang’s team has put into its design. A sightseeing guide herding a fetch of tourists toward the museum could do worse than make the rabble turn around and note how the southern windows are angled to maximize warming sunlight during the cold winter, while minimizing it during the city’s hot summers. But considering that there are still tour guides in Chicago who tell people that the Wrigley Building and Wrigley Field are both currently owned by the gum company, this may be too much information for them to handle.

With that in mind, here’s a whole firehose of facts: