Exciting Changes in Chicago Architecture
Exciting changes are afoot in Chicago and you’ll want to be a part of the action! Only a few years ago, property owners had mothballed architectural and redevelopment projects. Now, with renewed funding, exciting changes are happening all over the city. Let’s take a look at some of the architecture and redevelopment projects that caught our eye.
New Skyscrapers
Chicago is no stranger to tall buildings. But in the coming year, striking new structures will reach new heights. Get ready to see exciting changes to the Chicago skyline! Currently, Chicago has dozens of skyscraper projects under construction. All are over 100 feet tall.
Here are a few highlights:
- Remember the shelved Chicago Spire project? Two glass and terracotta towers will now rise at the prominent lakefront site. Designed by Chicago architect SOM, the buildings will be 1,100 and 850 feet in height. They will house condos, apartments, a hotel, and restaurants.
- Holy Name Cathedral will get new neighbors. Developers are building a pair of slender towers of 49 and 76 stories across the street. The One Chicago Square development is a mixed-use project. It will include condos, apartments, offices, parking, stores, restaurants, and a health club. The project designers are Chicago-based Goettsch Partners and Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture.
- Developers are planning a super tall glass and steel skyscraper. Located next to the iconic Tribune Tower, the tapering structure will be 1,422 feet tall. The proposed building will replace Trump Tower as the city’s second tallest. In fact, it will be only 29 feet shorter than our tallest building, the Willis Tower. The developers will seek a rezoning of the property to build the skyscraper.
- The new 93-story Vista Tower, designed by Chicago’s Studio Gang, will include a five-star hotel. In addition, it will house luxury condominiums priced at $1 million to $18 million. At 1,186 feet tall, the structure will be the city’s third tallest building. Look for it at 375 E. Wacker Drive.
Would you like to get a complete view of Chicago’s new skyscraper projects? See Curbed Chicago’s interactive map. It locates high-rises under construction, from Edgewater to Hyde Park.
Additional Exciting Changes
- Beginning this fall, look for artwork and video images – projected onto the façade of the Merchandise Mart. Did you know that when it opened in 1930, the Mart was the largest building in the world? Its enormous riverfront façade will be a huge canvas for Art on the MART, managed by Obscure Digital. Check it out – it will be the largest permanent installation of its kind in the world.
- Developers are planning to rehabilitate an abandoned62-acree riverfront site. It is on a former railyard between the Loop and Chinatown. Plans include the construction of 13 million square feet of buildings. These will include skyscrapers of up to 950 feet high.
- Don’t you love that Chicago has made a commitment to outdoor art? Did you know that more than 1,000 works of art are on the streets of Chicago? Works by renowned artists are well represented. In the downtown area, you can see Calder’s Flamingo, Kapoor’s Cloudgate (the “bean”), and The Picasso, among others. New this year – Santiago Calatrava’s 29 foot tall red leafy metal spiral sculpture. Look for it on the riverfront at River Point.
- Interest in recreational redevelopment along the Chicago River The successful Chicago Riverwalk continues to attract residents and tourists alike. Cyclists, hikers, and runners enjoy new trail segments as well. New city trails connect parks along the North and South Branches of the Chicago River. Visit the Bridgehouse Museum and experience the story of the river and its remarkable moving bridges.
- Have you heard? Northerly Island will debut a temporary Hamilton exhibition. It will be an immersive experience in a 27,000-square-foot building, near the Adler Planetarium. “Hamilton: The Exhibition,” will include a recreation of the New Jersey dueling grounds where Alexander Hamilton lost his life. The attraction is expected to open in November 2018 and Chicago Public School students will be admitted for free.
One More Change of Note
Have you ever taken an architectural walking tour or river cruise tour in Chicago? If so, your tour leader was from the Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF). For 25 years, the CAF was at the Railway Exchange Building, near the Art Institute. Now, the CAF is moving to a new riverfront location. Later in 2018, you’ll find them at 111 East Wacker Drive. The Chicago Architecture Center will occupy 20,000 square feet of space at the Illinois Center Complex. It will be an inviting space for the Foundation’s retail, exhibition, and interactive education initiatives.
