Wallpaper* — “Letter from Chicago: Keeping Up with Construction in the Windy City”

January 2, 2018

“Chicago boasts a stellar place on the international architectural map because of its pre-eminent role in the development of modernism and the invention of the office skyscraper, something that has transformed the skylines of cities worldwide. After the most recent 2009 recession the Windy City has seen a renewed construction boom and a flurry of high rises are in the works (currently over 50 are in the pipeline).

Though many of these projects are functional as opposed to outstanding, Chicago still punches head and shoulders above many of the rest in terms of architectural literacy, innovation and sheer feats of structural and design ingenuity. …

In residential terms all eyes are on Jeanne Gang’s upcoming supertall Vista Tower in Lakeshore East (completion is slated for 2019). The talented Chicagoan architect has a knack for designing buildings that are visually interesting, structurally expressive and, as odd as this may sound for a tall building, accessible and personable.”