Division & Clybourne

Brinshore Michaels
77 Rental Residential Units, 18,000 s.f. Retail
6 Stories
Chicago, Illinois

The architectural vision for this six-story structure responsibly gestures to immediate context-- both traditional masonry buildings on Division and North Clybourn, and the minimalist, industrial character of the Lakefront Mercy SRO. Establishing a sense of aesthetic cohesion in the neighborhood, the design offers a refreshing, iconic marker for this key intersection, a gateway to the Clybourn Corridor. The plan holds the street edge of both Clybourn and Division, yet offers a setback to effectively widen the presently narrow sidewalks, leading to a generous, usable plaza gesturing figuratively to the park south of the intersection. The design features metallic bay-like projections juxtaposed against a elemental punched masonry field, creating a sense of playful, dynamic movement and activity in the facades, and one drops to grade to signal the residential entry on Division. Accentuating the acute angle of the site, the masonry and bays yield to a glazed 'slot' anchored by a canopy, emphasizing the central axis of the plan and serving as a backdrop to the articulated corner plaza . The ground floor retail along Clybourn and Division is highly visible and appealing, activating and reinforcing the existing streetwalls.