Following the project's approval last year, progress at the site of 110 North Wacker Drive has been moving steadily along, the 51-storey office tower now beginning to rise upon the banks of the Chicago River. With excavation and shoring work complete, the arrival of heavy equipment and building materials - often by barge - has speeded the first steps of the tower's ascent, the Goettsch Partners-designed project by The Howard Hughes Corporation and Riverside Investment & Development soon to become an iconic part of the downtown skyline. 

110 North Wacker Drive, viewed from the river, image by Forum contributor harryc

110 North Wacker Drive will bring 1.35 million square feet of prime office space to the Chicago Loop. The tower will be wrapped an in aluminum and glass exterior membrane, the glass curtain wall effect of which to provide tenants with magnificent views of the surrounding cityscape. 

110 North Wacker Drive, build site, image by Forum contributor harryc

The tower will come with a range of amenity spaces, including a conference centre and gym, along with multiple retail and dining options. Having replaced the modernist 1958 General Growth Building, the new development will represent a significant improvement in utility and pedestrian vibrancy, the 800-foot tower set to become a hive of daily activity. 

Hoarding from W Randolph St, image by Forum contributor harryc

Situated along the banks of the Chicago River, the tower will meet the street with a large public realm element defined by greenery and meandering pathways, thereby enhancing the pedestrian experience. The tower will make room for this addition by standing partially atop a series of columns facing onto the riverfront, which will allow passersby to relax and take in the scenery. 

110 North Wacker Drive, as it will appear upon completion, image via Goettsch Partners

SkyriseCities will be sure to return to this project as progress continues. For more information, check out the associated Database file and Forum thread, and as always, feel free to join the conversation in the comments section below.