The current global agenda demands a reconsideration of the existing buildings that were built in the last century. Old buildings, apart from structural or physical deterioration, tend to be outdated and do not satisfy today’s needs. Furthermore, as Chicago starts to lack free plots in its downtown area, the common strategy is to demolish old buildings and build brand new towers that comply with current energy performance standards, security standards, offer high revenue rates, etc. Unfortunately, that strategy apart from representing a loss of identity in the city, represents a huge carbon footprint, and with climate change’s consequences being more evident every day, this is no longer acceptable.
This project tries to tackle both the needed update of a 100-year-old building and the challenges that the current global agenda makes us face as architects. The chosen building is the Drake Hotel, located on Chicago’s Lakeshore. The shown images correspond to the hotel’s status in the 1920’s and its current status, where its environment demands a more dense use of its corresponding plot area.
