Aqua critique

Aqua is equal parts skyscraper as well as sculpture. At each level its waves of concrete slabs divide each floor of the building and give the it a texture that changes with just about any viewpoint. From up close looking directly above to the buildings tallest point it is reminiscent of waves of water brushing over sand, it is a texture that looks so inviting you it begs the viewer to run their hands through it. It has managed to take the symetircal elements of a traditional skyscraper and alter them ever so slightly with each protruding balcony to give a look as though these slabs have grown over the existing building, they climb from bottom to top like ivy on a brick wall. Aqua could be best described as an uneven slab of clay, where the flat sections of glass typical to a normal skyscraper look as though they are the finished product and the uneven portions have yet to be carved out. The slabs carry with the them a rhythm that shoots through the entire building, while it looks random at first sight where the slabs protrude and depress, it once again reminds of the natural symettry found everywhere in nature that the architecht Jeanne Gang has masterfully captured.

During the day when the sun shines it's brightest is optimal for viewing the Aqua building. The light and the way it interacts with the building as a whole is equally if not more crucial to the building than the design itself. When the building soaks in as much light as possible then the viewer is able to see it from all different angles and vantagepoints and be amazed at the myriad of shapes that appear. Looking at the building at a slight angle from the west end yields the most ineresting visuals, after a few moments the eye loses sight of the building level by level and instead it begins to take on one uniform shape that flows like a piece of marine plantlife swaying back and forth in calm waters. The windows when in direct sunlight give off a piercing blue color that has such deep values it's hard to imagine all it is is a piece of glass.

At night the Aqua building is harder to judge the building. Without the sunlight bouncing off of every inch of glass and concrete the illusion is essentially lost. The limited supply of tungsten light coming from the streets as well as light from within each individual apartment cannot support such a massive illusion. The waves and flow of the building are flattened, the smooth texture is lost in the darkness and the vibrant blue color that excentuates the building so well during the daytime hours can obviously no longer be seen. This is one of the few faults that can be found in the Aqua building, the fact that it looks rather pedestrian when it's not soaking in the suns powerful rays. A passer by would be hard pressed to even recognize it as the same building because it gets lost among the numerous other buildings in the foreground and background.

It is hard not to sit back and wonder though how much thought truly went into these uneven concrete slabs. Was it meticulously thought out in every aspect of design or was this just a quick idea that popped into the architects mind of a practical and easy way to break up the look of an otherwise normal building. It is clear that if they were to be taken away what would stand in it's place is a run of the mill skyscraper no more or less extrordinary then any hotel or buisness center. While the idea of having these concrete slabs divide each level is ingenious and innovative, it is strange to think that they essentially make or break the building. Unlike the recently built Trump tower or similar buildings in Chicago's downtown that have spires or some sort of vertical piece that the entire building culminates in at the very top as a center piece of their design, Aqua has one claim to fame and that one thing like stated before loses nearly all of it's effect when the lights go down. Another issue with the Aqua building albeit minor is the supposed practicality of the concrete slabs, the architect has said they are enviromentally friendly and are there to cool the apartments, but what about the portions of the buildings where the the slabs are nonexistent. Are those residents not only left with absolutely no balcony to step out on to but out of luck when it comes to being energy efficent and cool inside of there own homes. It is interesting to think that some residents have spacious areas to walk out onto while others can barely measure theirs with the centimeter side of a ruler.