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Negative Chicago
Chicago Spire


A couple of days hence, NURBN's proposal for an artificial lake — an aqueous inversion of Jakob Tigges' Tempelhof Mountain, really — in Berlin reminded us of one expensive hole on Chicago's lakefront, the one dug for the construction of the Chicago Spire. Because of the economic downturn and the developer's secrecy about a date for the resumption of major work on the building, some have wondered if the hole will remain unfilled, in which case, count another one in a growing list of cancelled prestige projects. No doubt many will see this gaping abyss as a delicious commentary on the excesses of this decade.

But what to do with the hole? Blair Kamin, the Chicago Tribune's architecture critic, has the obvious but probably best idea. Last year, he wrote:

Might the hole, 76 feet deep by 110 feet wide, be filled with water and become the world's deepest swimming pool? Perhaps demonic sports federation directors would threaten to send losers in Olympic swimming races there, forcing them to backstroke in circles for the rest of their lives.


How about subterranean skydiving?


Negative Manhattan
9 COMMENTS —
  • Anonymous
  • February 5, 2009 at 5:11:00 AM CST
  • There is such a proposal from the disappeared spanish architect Fernando Higueras for the NY's WTC. The "hellscraper" (rascainfiernos). He submitted it to the ideas competition.


  • Unknown
  • February 5, 2009 at 3:06:00 PM CST
  • THIS IS SPARTA!!!!!!!!!!!!


  • Anonymous
  • February 5, 2009 at 11:28:00 PM CST
  • Can we exile Blagojevich to this pit?


  • Anonymous
  • February 6, 2009 at 3:16:00 PM CST
  • Dinosaur cock-fighting ring!


  • Anonymous
  • February 9, 2009 at 4:13:00 PM CST
  • Isn't there a sport involving diving to depths? Freediving or something?


  • Gil
  • February 13, 2009 at 7:47:00 PM CST
  • Everyone with contempt for big business could spit into it?


  • Anonymous
  • February 17, 2009 at 12:23:00 AM CST
  • harv says:

    Let's stock it with exotic salt water large game fish and sell fishing rights


  • Anonymous
  • February 17, 2009 at 12:26:00 AM CST
  • Jaje says:

    Let's fill it with ice and Guiness beer and set the worlds record for the largest kegger party


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