apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Beautiful. But I can't help to think what a waste of perfectly good floor space.

to comicgeek

I don't think this family of 4 has to worry about whether there is adequate floorspace in that house!! haha.

and stunning house it is.

The 2nd picture looks nice, like mid-century modern, but the other ones just remind me of a shopping mall, or big corporate building. I wouldn't feel comfortable there.

it reminds me of the Jetson's elevator in a rectangular sort of way, I love the space indoors and out.

Nice details but this place is ridiculously huge for 4 people. See http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2006/oct/08/magazine/chi-0610080449oct08.

1.25 city lots per person.

The interiors of those 'light wells' are open to the elements and there is a pool underneath.

This means you'll have to suspend OCD helper monkeys from the top floor and hope they enjoy playing with windex and squeegees.

Beautiful and flawless,....but feels more like a fancy hotel lobby or other public facility rather than a private home.

Yes, JoeyBrill, I also thought about the burden of cleaning all those floor-to-ceiling windows.

Then again, I suppose anyone who can afford a high-end place like this can afford the staff to regularly clean it.

If I had the money, I'd live in an enormous compound on hundreds of private acres surrounded by giant stone walls so I see nothing wrong with this place.

although i appreciate the lovely design, i have to agree with other posters about the waste this house must have. all of those windows would be nice in a warm climate, but chicago? in winter? obviously they aren't worrying about the heating bill. houses like this are lovely to look at in pictures...but in a fantasy world kind of way. like clopes said "if i had the money...", although i'd be in a yurt on hundreds of acres with tall brick walls.

I could definitely imagine being a child and growing up in that house--I loved libraries as a kid (because I loved reading and books and I never had the opportunity to spend as much time in one as I liked) and one of my first memories are of waking before anyone in the house and watching the beautiful sunlight cascade into a normally dark living room. Sure, growing up there would be different, but kids adapt and as long as they have loving parents, I don't see what the problem is.

The irony is that the owner, Penny Pritzker, is likely to be living in France as the U.S. Ambassador for the next few years...

I don't think this is too much house for a [wealthy] family of four; much of the lot is taken up by outdoor space, a true luxury and one that most of us wish we could pay extra for!

I love any attempt to make Chicago houses brighter and more open to the outdoors.

An old brick house on my street has a little glass cupola right in the middle of its roof. I would love to do the same on our house. It would bring light to our stairwell and give a little glimpse of sky.

I saw this on Arch Daily and thought it was a nice law office...