All The Rooms Are Round!

While many residents of Calhoun-Isles condominiums (just off Lake Calhoun) think their building is unique, there are in fact three other developments around the world that either utilize or incorporate old grain silos into their construction.

Before the development of the Calhoun-Isles condominiums, there was an equally unique reuse of grain silos in Akron, Ohio. The Crowne Plaza Quaker Square Hotel was constructed out of a cluster of 36 turn-of-the-century grain silos soaring 120 feet tall. Each of the ultramodern guest rooms measure 24 feet in diameter and are perfectly round!

The silos, which once held 1,500,000 bushels of grain, were part of a shuttered Quaker Oats factory. The rest of the factory was converted to shops, restaurants and meeting space.

Waratah Mills is a multi million residential development in Sidney Australia. The 80 year-old former flourmill and grain silo was converted to 84 luxury apartments. The silo buildings all posed unique structural engineering challenges that had to be solved. The exterior of the silo building, a cluster of six, 98 feet high, cylindrical grain silos was retained, with openings for windows and cantilevered balconies cut into the 8 inch thick walls

And after 3 years of delays, an old grain silo and grain elevator in Baltimore now has new life as a luxury condominium complex. Silo Point is a $400-million development on Baltimore's waterfront. The site was once used by the Archer Daniels Midland Company to store corn, soy beans and wheat.

The complex includes several phases. The first was 120 townhouses. The second will include condominiums and retail inside the grain elevator and the third part will be townhouses and apartments. Sadly, some of the silos were torn down after it was determined they wouldn’t be strong enough to support the parking building.

For those on the higher floors it's a chance to have a view that is unmatched in the area. The condominiums also preserve a bit of the feel of the old grain elevator with the concrete floors, high ceilings and exposed ductwork. Other planned amenities include rooftop gardens and a health club. The condo units range in size from 1,800 to 5,000 square feet, and will cost from the low $400,000s to $5 million.