Chicago Spire Tower

Calatrava’s tall and slender design form with glass facade that appears to ripple downward in waves, like the folds of a cloak swirling around a figure is achieved by means of a structural innovation.

Each floor unit of the tower is built out from the central core like a separate box, with gently curving, concave sides. As these boxes are stacked up, each box is rotated by a little more than two degrees from the one below, making the floors turn 270 degrees around the core as they rise, giving the facade an impression of movement. The design not only provides the building with a majestic profile but ingeniously allows for the design of living space with a freedom not normally available in high-rise buildings.

Condominium residences will feature unparallel views through floor-to-ceiling windows; column-free, unobstructed floor plans; and access to the amenities of the building’s five-star hotel.

The tower’s twisting form provides a structural advantage by reducing the impact of wind turbulence, which affects all tall buildings. The irregularity of the tower’s surface ensures that wind forces are reflected from the facade in multiple directions, rather than building up as a single force. In this way, the design averts extremes of lateral movement.

Plans for the 920,000-square-foot structure (280,416 meters) include a five-star hotel and 250 luxurious condominium residences.At terrace level, approximately at the height of Lake Shore Drive, Chicago Spire Tower will have a footprint of only 14,000 square feet (4,267 meters) on the 2.2-acre site. The remaining 85 percent of the site will be left open for landscaped gardens with access provided from the site to DuSable Park and the lakefront.

Approximately 50,000 square feet (15,240 square meters) of retail and support space is planned for the podium floors overlooking the Chicago River and Lake Michigan.