Built: 2006-2009 Cost: $300,000,000 Designed by: Loewenberg Architects and Studio/Gang/Architects Type: Skyscraper Stories: 82 Maximum Height: 823 feet / 251 meters Location: 430 East Waterside Drive, Chicago, United States
A daring piece of architecture for The Loop area, Aqua comes off more as a massive sculpture than as a residential block in the crowded heart of the city. The name "Aqua" is in keeping with the nautical theme most of the buildings in the Lakeshore East development have: The Tides, The Shoreham, The Regatta, etc... But while those were conventional skyscrapers, Aqua is special.
At its heart it is the standard glass box we've seen before. But protruding from its surface are undulating concrete balconies resembling ripples or waves. This is an appropriate homage considering the building's location near both Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. But the ripples are not without challenge. Much like each wave in the lake, each floor plate in Aqua is unique, thus construction is unusually complicated. And for homeowners, not all units are equal. While some people may have a balcony up to 12 feet wide, others will be measuring theirs with a ruler rather than a yardstick.
Aqua was originally envisioned as a split between condominiums and a hotel. Because of changing economic factors some of the condominium units were changed to apartments. Further economic turmoil took its toll on the hotel aspect of this project. Strategic Hotels & Resorts planned to buy 15 floors of Aqua to expand its Fairmont Hotel across the street, but in October, 2008 it pulled out of the project. It remains to be seen whether the vacant space will be taken by another hotel company or converted for use as residences or offices.
Architect: Jeanne Gang
Architect: Jim Loewenberg
Architecture firm: Studio Gang Architects
Architect of record: Loewenberg & Associates
Developer: Magellan Development
Aqua's public relations company touts that this is the tallest building in the United States designed by an architecture firm headed by a woman. It is a claim that is difficult to prove or refute.
The hotel will have a 20,000-square-foot ballroom.
This building formerly used the address 225 North Columbus Drive.
Hotel rooms: 225
Residences: 718
Apartments: 474
Condominiums: 264
Floor space: 1,900,000 square feet
September 1, 2006: Groundbreaking.
October 3, 2008: Crain's Chicago Business reports that Strategic Hotels & Resorts has pulled out of its $84 million deal to buy 15 floors of this building to expand the Fairmont Hotel across Columbus Drive.
physiovergence
Tuesday, October 28th, 2008 @ 2:16pm
Rating: One star. With todays tools in the architectural field it is sad to see them being used without any thought as to the performance of the building. It is a nice thought to create something that is a little different for the chicago skyline, but as different as it may seem, this building is not different in the least of the word. Behind the ornamental balconies is a perfectly squared box with no ideas newer than its very square neighbors. This is a perfect example of the butchering of modern technology in order to quickly put up an initially interesting facade with a copy and paste core.
Jane Letson
Sunday, September 21st, 2008 @ 1:23pm
Rating: Five stars. Just returned from Chicago and saw the building. Looks very beautiful from the outside. Hope the inside will be as nice, but a very creative concept.
judy manipon
Monday, September 8th, 2008 @ 2:05pm
Rating: Five stars. It looks fantastic. Veryunique in style and I canvisualize now the wave ofthe water from afar. Verycreative.
juan m gallego
Thursday, August 7th, 2008 @ 9:11pm
It looks amazing, this is something that Chicago deserves. congratulations to the architects and designers
Beth Maged
Thursday, July 31st, 2008 @ 4:29pm
Rating: Five stars. This building is amazing, I come to Chicago every other week for work and am amazed how differently it looks each time. I can't wait to see the finished product. Its looks perfect in Chicago!
Tara
Thursday, June 19th, 2008 @ 12:11pm
Rating: Five stars. I'm moving there next year... Sooooo amazing and gorgeous, I CANT WAIT :)
david
Monday, April 7th, 2008 @ 6:01pm
Whoever said height was an issue and cause for deliberation over beauty and appreiciation for architecture is wrong. This building along with many others, would not have the impression it does without the height. It makes it that monumental and impowering.Davi
John B
Wednesday, March 26th, 2008 @ 2:45pm
Rating: Five stars. Some one said "...it doesn't seem Chicago. It screams Dubai". Most of the buildings in Dubai are designed and built by Chicago architecture firms. I think the building is amazing to look at. I love the variety of buildings Chicago has to offer. Chicago has more variety of buildings than any other city in the world.
Patricia Rogers
Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 @ 12:44pm
Rating: Four stars. More beauty for Chicago.
Chris
Thursday, January 31st, 2008 @ 9:00pm
Rating: Five stars. This structure will continue to cement Chicago's place as an innovator of architectural implementation, whether it be in the categories of supertall, green building initiatives, or overall uniqueness.
Jerry Hummer
Wednesday, December 5th, 2007 @ 3:22pm
Rating: Five stars. Beautiful! Since I live across the street from it and get to watch it go up.
James Lee
Monday, August 13th, 2007 @ 1:44am
Rating: Five stars. It looks like a continuation of LakeMichigan rising into the sky!
David Shmuel
Thursday, July 26th, 2007 @ 8:08am
Rating: Four stars. I'm intrigued, but I think I have to hold back one star until I see the finished product. The building looks odd but fascinating and I think it could work. It is definitely one of the more original new constructions being built in the city today. Given that it will be placed right next to the Aon Center, I wish there was greater height difference between the two buildings, so that Aqua could stand out more.
James Petersen
Thursday, July 19th, 2007 @ 12:37am
Rating: Five stars. I think it will be a sleek and beautiful building once built. I am no architect, but I think that building has a nice modern feel to it. A kind of change from the heavy modern skyscrappers that tend to dominate like the John Hancock Building which seems to just slump there. Anyway it's my feelings. I like the building. I am glad they are building it.
Digital Junkie
Friday, July 13th, 2007 @ 1:38am
Rating: Five stars. I think this building is awesome! An innovative twist on the International Style box. It almost reminds me of the Marina Towers built in the 1960's, which is now a Chicago Icon. Great design I love it!
J C Lennon
Wednesday, June 20th, 2007 @ 7:50am
Rating: Five stars. AWESOME! This will be a building that will be remembered! I can't wait to see this finished. It will look like a mirage or actually have a sense of movement--not just upward but undulating with the wind currents or flow of water from Lake Michigan. Love it!
Narin Ratanavade
Tuesday, June 5th, 2007 @ 9:00am
Rating: Five stars. I'll admit that I had to have a double take just looking at the building. At first, it looked like an incomplete mess till I looked at it again and realized that it looked like ripples moving through the walls. Maybe the "double take" is one reason for the design of the building: to get people to notice it more? I love how original the idea of the building is, and I definately can't wait to see it when it's complete. It will definately compliment the Chicago skyline, not to mention the waves of Lake Michigan!
Abhinav Dhaka
Saturday, May 19th, 2007 @ 1:01pm
Rating: Five stars. Unbelievable concept yet so simple in its own terms..would love to see the real "Aqua" soon
jw
Tuesday, May 1st, 2007 @ 6:06pm
Rating: One star. I think that it is hideous
Wilbert NYC
Friday, April 20th, 2007 @ 4:29am
Rating: Four stars. also forgot to mention the beauty of this building(AQUA) is that it gives the impression of a huge flag or hung drapes or curtains swaying in the breeze very eye catching!!
Ronald Houle Jr.
Saturday, April 14th, 2007 @ 6:13pm
Rating: Five stars. I am very happy to see a brightly beautiful building towers of new Chicago City of many new towers. So, I am exicting to see for Fordham Spires for go to building to 150 Floors in Begin on May 15, 2007. And Also, We pray for Olympic will re vote our Chicago for winning again of World's vote, Yes, We believe that Chicago are very successfully building more than other world for Best Olympic 2016!! Sincerely, Ronald Houle,Jr.
Wilbert NYC
Friday, April 13th, 2007 @ 6:32am
Rating: Four stars. love it! I am already sea sick just by looking at it, great design, something different although this design won a previous architectural award of best building of the year awarded to a residential building (or commercial,if i am not mistaking) in Australia, melbourne or queensland well, somewhere down under also this design will be featured on a new skyscraper in New York City it is a project awaiting to be approved (west side 42nd street)condominium
Bonnie K Brennan Properties- bonnieb
Monday, March 19th, 2007 @ 12:45am
Rating: Five stars. Look skyhigh to the future of Chicago. Our amazing city will have yet another beauty added to grace our magnificent skyline.
Anil Kumar
Thursday, March 15th, 2007 @ 10:42pm
Aqua is going to be promiment landmark in Chicago downtown residences. Going to beat trium towers. Amenties offered by Aqua is best in class.
marcus
Tuesday, March 6th, 2007 @ 5:52pm
Rating: Two stars. I like the height and all, but this structure doesn't seem Chicago. It screams Dubai.
Jason Steward
Thursday, December 28th, 2006 @ 4:41am
Rating: Four stars. the waves are cool and all, but think that we could have have broke the 900ft mark on this one and i also think that the design could have been somthing more than a rectangle. i give it four stars because the building still makes a unique statment.
kirby cruz
Thursday, December 7th, 2006 @ 8:40pm
Rating: Five stars. This building is very odd, yet pretty awesome. I like that look of water blowing in the Chicago Wind. (or politics)
Richard Seid
Friday, September 22nd, 2006 @ 7:09pm
Rating: Four stars. Would've given this a five-star rating, but one never knows how the undulating exterior will work out. If successful (i.e., it does what the architect(s) want it to do), then *****. If not, perhaps just another very tall building with a very unsightly skin. Would love to see more from Jeanne Gang.
gabriel mnthambwe
Thursday, September 21st, 2006 @ 9:46am
Rating: Four stars. the building departs from the usual pure gemetry associated with scy scrapers-thats interesting It has a differnt command of the skyline. But isnt it complicated building to achieve funtionality
GMJ
Wednesday, September 20th, 2006 @ 7:07am
Rating: Three stars. This building has gotten so much press and praise, but so far it is not deserved. The architect and reviewers claim that it steps away from recent Chicago architecture in that in brings focus back to the exterior, but so what when the interior is so conventional. As soon as I sasw the floor plans I was disappointed.( And who knows if the concrete work will also live up to the concept.)So compared to much of the crap that this city has seen, it is good, but potentially, it could have been so much better and really redefine architecture.
walt
Saturday, September 16th, 2006 @ 4:36pm
Rating: Three stars. Why does this remind me of a cardboard box left out in the rain? The undulating balconies are conceptually interesting but given this building's scale, ultimately get monotonous. Still, if not exactly beautiful, it is different, and in a city like Chicago that's very important.
Bashir
Monday, July 31st, 2006 @ 7:21pm
Rating: Five stars. Chicago is claiming to be the world best metro city. explosion of new building with great articultural design are happening here. This will be a new stadard in design once it is completed in 2009. I saw the plan and was in love with it the same day. I cannot wait for its completion. I bought my future home also the same day and I am waiting.
Rob
Friday, July 14th, 2006 @ 3:25am
Rating: Three stars. Beautiful. Just a pity that everyone seems to buy their architecture by the mega-tonne these days. Who cares how tall it is? Can't we appreciate it for its beauty, rather than the size of the firm's phallus?
bonnieb-Keller Williams River North
Saturday, June 17th, 2006 @ 2:14am
Rating: Five stars. Another WOW for Chicago,what a beauty. AQUA "The Princess". We have once again set the standard for innovative design..as "the princess rises to the sky",she is form and function combined with a vision of the future...
Chris Barrett
Friday, May 12th, 2006 @ 3:51pm
Rating: Five stars. This will be the building , when completed, drivers on Lake Shore Drive will crash into eachother! They will get the best view at speeds of 50+ mph... I believe after this project is complete, others will follow as there are some already being built.. but this is the heralding of a great new era of Chicago Architecture. About time! I shoot Architectural Photography for more than 10 years and cannot wait! Thank-you for getting out of the box.
Dario
Thursday, April 27th, 2006 @ 11:20pm
Rating: Five stars. Bellissimo! Looking forward to seeing it finished
Thomas Semesky
Monday, April 10th, 2006 @ 1:01pm
Rating: Five stars. I always like it when architects get away the from straight line effect when designing buildings. I think the design of the Aqua building makes this a building to be looked at, rather then another tall monument that gets lost in the skyline.
Terry
Thursday, April 6th, 2006 @ 11:31pm
Rating: Five stars. Potentially ground-breaking building. Stepping on the shoulders of Marina City! Could be an awesome addition to the riverscape.
Brett Haase
Thursday, March 30th, 2006 @ 8:52pm
Rating: Five stars. Beautiful and unique. Chicago needs to solidify her ownership of the architectural crown... buildings like this are certainly sending it in that direction.
Noel
Monday, March 13th, 2006 @ 1:17pm
Rating: Five stars. I like it, just wish it was a bit more colorful.
brendt oconnell
Sunday, March 12th, 2006 @ 6:53pm
Rating: Five stars. throughout the years Studio Gang has made a significant achievements in experimental architecture and design.From the images I see if they are factual information, is a building with dynamic movement against Chicago's static skyline. Hopefully the design, if built will open a gateway for a new type of architecture for the city.
Brent Kampert
Thursday, March 9th, 2006 @ 1:35pm
Rating: Five stars. This would be a great addition to Chicago's Skyline and be one of the top 15 tallest in Chicago.
Kerem Arig
Friday, February 24th, 2006 @ 6:36pm
Rating: Three stars. Just saw the image now. I could not decide how to rate it! One thing for sure is that including with planned Fordham building, Chicago is about to have new wave of extraordinary shaped of buildings, which I believe that adds to cities charachter. It is not clear what type of material the outside will have. Also, just another note, at instant, model on the picture reminded me edged version of a Marine tower by Chicago river.
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New York, United States
physiovergence
One star.
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Four stars.
Abhinav Dhaka
Two stars.
Three stars.
Dario
Kerem Arig