Parking garage wrapped with office
A variation of the Texas Wrap, the University ofChicago commissioned the design of an 11-storyparking garage wrapped with an unbelievably small office building (4 stories)at 61st Street and Drexel Avenue. Clearly, the parking revenueis driving the economics of the project and not the office program. Thewrap is just big enough to disguise the parking structure and make activesidewalk edges (the University police!). A little skinnier, and theoffice program would inhabit an occupiable facade. The rendering suggeststhat the depth of the office floorplates is approximately 45’, the typicallease-span of a center core office building.
The 61st & Drexel Mixed Use Building includes 361,000gsf of parking structure and a 70,340 gsf office building. The parkingstructure will accommodate 1,000 cars for University of Chicago hospitalemployees. The office building will house the University Police in the basementand first floor space along 61st Street. The remainder of the building willhouse University office space.
-Tim