Aqua Tower (Chicago) – All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Just when you think developers and architects can’t design anything bigger or bolder than Lake Point Tower, Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang Architects produces Aqua with its rippling facade of irregular balconies that has been praised by architecture critics for its fascinating visual impact. Located at 255 North Columbus Drive, north of Millennium Park and overlooking Soldier Field and the museum campus on Chicago’s lakefront, Aqua is a mixed use 82-story residential skyscraper that rises to a height of 819 feet. It is one of the tallest high rises built during Chicago’s skyscraper boom of 2000-2009. Completed in 2009, Aqua is noted for the unique design of its balconies, which give the building a remarkable silhouette. The pattern of undulating balconies, from the tower’s base all the way to the top, make for an interesting facade. The effect is especially beautiful when viewed up close, when it looks almost like waves in the ocean, which explains the tower’s name. It is a building unlike any other, as is Lake Point Tower. The balconies just don’t create a stunning visual effect but they break up the wind streams so the tower needs less resistance against the persistent and strong Chicago winds. The balconies also protrude two to 12 feet outward, allowing for wide views of the area. The tower has received considerable critical acclaim and earned Emporis’ 2009 Skyscraper Award. No, it doesn’t offer a bird’s-eye view of the Chicago Bears’ games in Soldier Field.