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Now that all that April Foolishness is over, we return to our regularly scheduled editorial coverage.
We all know that buildings don't always turn out like the renderings. Last-minute changes and real-life materials can all cause discrepancies between the vision and reality of a project.
Chicago boasts an extensive collection of prominent buildings representing various distinct styles of architecture. Structures like the Willis Tower, John Hancock Center, and the Wrigley Building have become historical landmarks, and new modern developments are pushing the boundaries in order to receive a similar level of recognition. The 87-storey Aqua instantly became an architectural marvel upon completion in 2009, racking up several awards and garnering attention from around the world.
Housing residences, a Radisson Blu hotel, and over 50,000 square feet of office and retail space, the tower features a stunning design by Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang Architects. In her first skyscraper project, Gang compares the building’s sculpted undulating balconies to the striated limestone found throughout the Great Lakes area. The tower’s proximity to Lake Michigan, coupled with these rippling floor plates, inspired the ‘Aqua’ moniker. In the end, the final product stayed true to the initial artistic illustrations. The billowing effect of the balconies is best viewed from directly below the tower, as captured in both the rendering above and the image below.
