The last time we checked in on SMASHotels‘ EMC2 rising at 228 East Ontario Street, it was covered in an unflattering green. The good news is that it’s since been buttoned up in a nice, tasteful facade of grey. 50 shades of them.
Hotel EMC2 under construction (Courtesy of Streeterville Spy Paul)
Streeterville Spy Paul bellhopped our tip line with new photos of the building, and it appears that most of the exterior work is done. Through the big square windows you can see construction workers busy turning rooms with beds into bedrooms.
*bleep* *bleep* *bloop* *bleep* (via IGN.com)
Because of the building’s grid facade, the grey panels make it resemble some kind of eight-bit Tetris fantasy. Like maybe on your first Game Boy.
As a recap, when complete, the Hotel EMC2 will sport just short of 200 rooms and a ground floor restaurant called The Albert. It was designed by Koo and Associates.
While the hotel isn’t quite ready to take reservations yet, it does have a web site which helpfully tells you how art can make you more successful. Assuming you have the same life goals as the hotel’s blogger, who describes a day at the hotel as “surreal.” Which s/he must mean in the vocabulary-challenged millennial sense (see also: amazing), not the English language sense, since freakishly tripping balls isn’t usually a selling point for a hotel, even one flying Marriott’s Autograph flag.
Hotel EMC2 front yard under construction. So much potential. Cross your fingers! (Courtesy of Streeterville Spy Paul)
Still, a “surreal” stay at the EMC2 would be worth enduring if it meant that the building really will get the steampunk carnival of a ground floor facade pictured on its web site. Streeterville has for decades been a district of great towers with bland shoes. This little 20-story hostelry could encourage other newcomers to improve their streetfront designs to make them more engaging. It’s like SMASHotels telling the competition, “We’ve upped our game. Now up yours.” Or something like that.
Please, please, please let the Hotel EMC2 look even a little bit like this rendering (via hotelemc2.com)
Location: 228 East Ontario Street, Streeterville
Editor founded the Chicago Architecture Blog in 2003, after a long career in journalism. He can be reached at chicagoarchitectureinfo@gmail.com.
