Aqua Building

                In the heart of the loop lies a piece of architecture that will surely play with your eyes.  The Aqua Building is one of Chicago’s most interesting skyscrapers today.  Designed by Loewenberg Architects, the building is a mix between a hotel, condominiums, residences and apartments.  Currently there are 215 hotel rooms, 476 rental residential units and 263 condominium units and penthouses.  The Aqua Building took about four years to build.  The construction for it began in 2006 and ended in 2010.  Its estimated cost is $475,000,000. 

                Located at 225 N. Columbus drive, The Aqua building stands at 870 feet tall and 82 stories high.  It is one of the city’s tallest skyscrapers.  From below, one must think they are looking at a ripple of occurring waves.  Its appearance is simply modernistic with a surreal feel to it.  The ripples and waves are concrete balconies ranging sizes across the building.  Having said to be a few miles around, the balconies are what make this building so interesting to look at.  The windows reflect other buildings surrounding the Aqua Building and are very appealing to the human eye.

                The view from the Aqua Building is one to be breathtaking.  Weather you’re looking at Lake Michigan or the Chicago River, the view should be incredible.  The penthouses located at the top are what someone’s ideal view would be overlooking the entire city including a body of water.  Since the balconies are all different sizes, they resemble waves wrapped around all sides of the building.  This gives the architectural structure a sense of flow.

                The building is said to be the tallest building designed by an architect team lead by a woman.  That woman’s name is Jeanne Gang, principal and founder of Studio Gang architects.  The Aqua Building was her first project and should not be her last.  Her unique taste of surrealistic elements lets the viewer know this wasn’t a side project but an idea that flourished over time.  There are reasons as to why she chose to design such a building completely out of the ordinary. 

                The Aqua building is just another one of Chicago’s post modern projects.  It’s topped by a terrace of gardens, pools, hot tubs, a fire pit and an exercise track.  Its name derived from the theme of the other buildings in the Lakeshore East development.  The name “Aqua” fits this building perfectly because it has a marine-like feel to it giving the building a theme of its own.  The Aqua Building is one to draw attention and its appearance is one to remember.