"When I was in school, one of my math teachers spent an entire day writing out the calculations for a very complicated problem on the blackboard. In the end, he got the whole thing down to a simple equation. I remember him saying, 'I think this is beautiful.' Architecture is like that. There is always an element of searching. You start with the constants of the program and you search for the most elegant solution."

--Lucien Lagrange

In 1985, disillusioned with the prevailing trends in Modern architecture, Lucien Lagrange left Skidmore,Owings & Merrill and embarked on a series of historical investigations aimed at finding new sources of architectural inspiration.

Since then, he has designed some of the most impressive hotels, offices, and condominiums in Chicago, a city long known as an architectural capital.Lagrange's work resists easy categorization,combining as it does both Modern and traditional elements in often surprising ways.

His range is extraordinary. He is one of the few architects in America with an equal feel for both 19th-century stonework and 21st-century steel and glass.

In addition, his bold plans for renovating landmark structures have established him as a leading voice in the field of historic restoration and re-adaptation.

At the heart of Lagrange's work is a sense of beauty that is both timeless and supremely elegant.

Introduction

Selected Work

  Erie on the Park

  Park Tower

  65 East Goethe

  X/O

  Kingsbury on the Park

  Park Kingsbury

  Plaza Escada

  840 North Lake Shore Drive

  Dubai Tower Study

  175 West Jackson

  Blue Chip Casino Hotel

  Steeltown Residences

  Hard Rock Hotel

  2o8 South LaSalle

  Sleepy Hollow

  Lincoln Park 252o

  Belle Maison

  Project Rainbow

  Mannheimer-Lagrange Residence

  The Pinnacle

  55 West Monroe Lobby

  Project X

  West End Residences

  The Ritz-Carlton Residences

  Chicago Union Station

A Conversation with Lucien Lagrange

Firm Listing

Acknowledgments and Credits