The tallest purely-commercial skyscraper to be constructed in Chicago since Two Prudential Plaza in 1990 is now making an impact on the riverfront in the latest photos from the site. The 56-storey project at 110 North Wacker Drive co-developed by The Howard Hughes Corporation and Riverside Investment and Development negotiates a complex trapezoidal property further challenged by City policies which require a 30-foot-wide publicly accessible riverwalk.

110 North Wacker Drive rendering, image via Goettsch Partners

Replacing the 1950s-built General Growth Building, the 244-metre-tall tower features a glassy design from Goettsch Partners that includes a stepped centre core, giving room for a 45-foot covered riverwalk. Five-foot carveouts in the river-facing wall provide an equivalent of 14 corner offices. Boasting 1,770,000 square feet of interior space, multiple setbacks in the volume add visual interest to the building while enhancing its height.

110 North Wacker Drive rendering, image via Goettsch Partners

Three structural elements along the river frontage transfer the tower columns and frame the pedestrian pathway, while a 45-foot-tall lobby featuring a cable-supported glass wall and folded limestone cladding adorns the Wacker Drive elevation. 

110 North Wacker Drive construction, image by Forum contributor harryc

Expected to be complete in 2020, the construction site is currently identified by its large concrete core, which is gradually being enveloped by steel floor plates.

110 North Wacker Drive construction, image by Forum contributor harryc

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.