SOAR honors ‘an architect for the ages,’ Lucien Lagrange

SOAR (Streeterville Organization of Active Residents) hosted its annual Blueprints celebration at The Arts Club of Chicago on June 22. The event was a sellout honoring one of Chicago’s best loved architects, Lucien Lagrange. The crowd gathered for cocktails before an awards presentation followed by dinner.

Lagrange was honored with the Vision into Reality Award for his 40+ years of exceptional work as an architect. Some of his most notable projects include the Waldorf Astoria Chicago, 2550 Lincoln Park, 840 Lake Shore Drive, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, 65 E. Goethe, and the Park Tower.

Born in France and schooled in Montreal, Lagrange has designed contemporary skyscrapers, classically inspired commercial mixed-use structures, and sophisticated renovations. Many of these define the local Chicago cityscape with others gracing cities around the globe. Before founding his firm in 1985, he was with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, where he designed major office tower and retail projects, among others, across the nation.

Emceed by Natalie Martinez (of NBC Channel 5), the event opened with a welcome from SOAR president Deborah Gershbein. “SOAR is one of the oldest and most respected community organizations in the city. We are dedicated to preserving the world class status of this neighborhood of which Lucien has certainly contributed to,” she said.

Robert Sharoff, author “Lucien Lagrange: Search for Elegance,” and photographer William Zbaren presented slides of Lagrange’s iconic work from the book as they discussed his inspiration and history. An interview with the architect, that Martinez conducted in the courtyard of the Waldorf, was also presented. Lagrange said, “I always wanted to come to Chicago, and I made it here in 1968. Only in Chicago could I have done what I have. I don’t think I could’ve done it in any other city….My wife, Melinda, asked me, ‘If I wasn’t an architect, what would I want to be’? I would want to be a stone mason like my father.” At the end of the video, Slash, the lead guitarist from Guns N’ Roses, came onscreen and called Lagrange, “a rockstar.” 

Michael Reschke, Sr., chairman of The Prime Group, and Gerschbein, awarded Lagrange his award as the crowd stood and applauded. He said, “I don’t want me to be remembered, I want people to remember this [his work], what it adds to the city. That’s what I want people to remember.”