Water Tower, undulating floor plan and terraces for breathtaking views

In the Chicago skyline stands a new skyscraper, which has become an icon, and with its sinuous cantilevered terraces it seems to move among the lights and shadows, giving the building a sculptural appearance.

Heights and City Views

The Aqua Tower is an 82-story mixed-use skyscraper that includes a hotel, apartments, condominiums, parking, and offices. Unlike typical skyscrapers, which offer limited views between existing buildings, the Aqua Tower, designed by Studio Gang, is designed to capture unique views otherwise unattainable. Among the building's notable features is the green roof terrace at the top of its podium, which is one of the largest in Chicago and includes an outdoor pool, running track, gardens, and yoga terrace.

You might also be interested in this project where heights and panoramic views abound

Architectural Devices

A series of outlines of outdoor terraces extend detached from the facade of the tower structure to provide views between nearby buildings. These outdoor terraces differ in plan form. The terraces move based on criteria such as view, solar shading, dimensions, and type of dwelling. Viewed together, they make the building appear undulating, presenting a highly sculptural appearance.

Details of the design project

The building creates a strong identity through its architecture and has become a landmark in the Chicago skyline. This is one of those architectural projects where the unique and close collaboration between architect and builder, as well as the use of contemporary digital tools, have allowed for the variation in the shape of the floor slabs without increasing the construction times of the building.

The result is a tall tower that allows residents to simultaneously experience the building's facade and the city.

Harmony with the Context

Aqua Tower has been shaped by an organic and site-specific design process. They wanted the climate and views to influence the architecture, weaving it into its surroundings and treating the building and its environment as interconnected rather than separate.

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Water Tower, undulating floor plan and terraces for breathtaking views

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Studio Gang

1520 W Division St Chicago, IL 60642 Stati Uniti