January 2025

You know, back in my fifth year, I had taken up high-density, multi-use skyscrapers for my thesis project. The site was fixed, the area program was roughly made, and I even thought of something dynamic—like the Aqua Tower but with my own spin. But then, I had no clue on where to start! Like, what materials should I use? And how would real-life issues mess with my design? But you know what? I decided to take matters into my own hands. And, just like any determined student would, I headed over to downtown, Chicago, dove into some serious research, and figured things out through a lot of discussions & observations. And now, that I’ve compiled it all, I’ve rewritten it in a blog, to save you the same head-scratching! So yes, browse on to know all the details! We’ve included affiliate links to relevant products from the US market throughout the article! Shopping🛒 through them supports architectural writers like us at no added cost, just pure generosity (and good taste)!😇 Top Insights The Aqua tower Chicago has received a lot of awards & accreditations - AIA, Illinois (2018), Honor Award - AIA Chicago (2010), Skyscraper of the Year (Emporis 2009), “Proggy” Award - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA 2009), etc. The Aqua has a simple area plan consisting of 215 hotel rooms, 476 apartments, 263 pent houses & over 8,000 sq.m of terraced garden spaces. The Aqua uses a mixed color palette of six types of reflective & low-emissivity glass, painted steel balustrades, recycled bamboo & RCC. Some Really Important Chicago Aqua Tower Details You Can't Miss Out! ©Archwhispers.com Did you know that the Aqua Tower holds a special place in architectural history? Well, one, it’s one of the largest projects ever awarded to a woman-led architectural firm in the US! And two, it’s Ar. Jeanne Gang’s first ever skyscraper! So, Jeanne, a 60-year-old visionary architect, envisaged the Aqua aka the Lakeshore East Building 2-P as a mixed-use 82-storey skyscraper. Yes, it’s really that huge. Like, Aqua has over 739 residential units, 215 hotel rooms, and 1,557 parking spaces with a lot of other amenities - sauna, ballroom, lap room and what not! But who’s Ar. Jeanne Gang? And what is her firm, “Studio Gang known, for? Let’s see! So, Studio Gang is basically an American architecture and urban design firm with offices in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Paris. Ar. Jeanne Gang leads this firm and helps people connect sustainable homes with nature and communities. Awards: The 2016 Architizer A+ Firm of the Year Award, the 2013 National Design Award for Architecture from the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, & recognitions from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and AIA Chicago! What's the Form of the Aqua Tower Like? Photo by Julian Gentile on Unsplash You all might know the natural limestone formations at the Great Lakes in Chicago, right? Can you think of how they look? Rocky? Jagged? Perhaps a bit wavy too, isn’t it? Well, it’s the same logic with the Aqua tower. You see, Jeanne wanted the building to really belong to Chicago, not just geographically but emotionally. Hence, she evolved the Aqua Tower’s form around two main points. One, the connection to the surroundings and two, the wind loads, obviously. So first, Jeanne stretched the balconies outward by over 12 feet (3.7m). This eventually created a flowing, rippling facade that mimicked the waves & rocks. It didn’t look alien as such. In fact, the balconies, along with the full glass panels, looked just like a mirror of water with polished green & blue hues in between. Plus, users had some really great borrowed views from the nearby Michigan Lake. Next, Jeanne used computer modelling to modify the raw concrete undulations a bit. And surprisingly, these reduced the wind load for over 10 - 30%, even at the upper floors. Plus, they offered shade in the summer & created sinuously curved decks for a ready apartment garden! You know, I personally feel that the Aqua tower feels so alive - dynamic & inviting at the same time! It really interacts with the surroundings and adds softness & texture to the rigid Chicago skyline. Yes, the complex form might take a toll on the maintenance fees, but then, it’s really worth the vibe! Note: While I personally love how the Aqua tower builds interaction & community, I’ve also observed some meager privacy issues during my last visit there. For example, some creepy neighbors stare at your balcony or the food aroma really swaps up the place. So yes, residents might need to invest in screens, slat walls or plant curtains for privacy. Write to Rank: Architecture & Home-decor Blogging Services for Brands, Firms & MagazinesElevate your website with engaging blogs by Ar. Ruchika. With 3+ years of SEO expertise, she crafts content that’s not only conversational and accessible but also tailored to attract traffic, improve rankings, and build a stronger digital presence for your brand. Prices start $10/blogYes, I am interested! The Aqua Tower Chicago Site Study & Mapping ©Archwhispers.com So as you see above, the Aqua tower’s site lies in between the Lake Michigan, Millennium Park, the vibrant Lakeshore East development and the Chicago River. However, this site was a brownfield development site at first. Like, developers did build some industries or resorts on it, but abandoned them later. Hence, Jeanne had to dedicate over 50% of the area to landscaping, pool & gardens. But yes, the flowing, undulating facade still remains the site’s focal point. Sure, the entrance is welcoming, but it’s tucked away under the balconies. So, you don’t really see it unless you reach the drop-off points. Then, as you move beyond, you can either take the elevators to reach the residential & hotel floor. Or, you can spend some time accessing the podium-level landscaping, jogging tracks and pools. A Few More Aqua Tower Chicago Site Constraints & Peculiarities Topography: Now, the Aqua tower is located really close to the Lake Michigan, right? So yes, the site was once a swampy ground, with water pooling, marsh, etc. Plus, the site has no natural contours, no elevations, nothing. Yes, there are some low-lying contours used in the podium’s landscape, but those are man-made, just to break the monotony. Climate: Despite lying along the central belt, Chicago has a continental climate. Thus, winters have sub-freezing temperatures, while summers range between 37 - 35°C. Hence, the Aqua tower architect used a mix of low-emissivity glass with concrete & FSC-certified timber to reduce energy consumption. Rain, Precipitation & Snow: So as per the Illinois State Climatologist, Chicago receives an average of 37–38 inches snow & precipitation each year. Rainfall, on the other hand, is lower than 1062mm annually. So, Jeanne simply designed some waterproofing systems, terrace slopes & overhangs. However, I also believe that they might have used some pozzolan & air-entraining additives to resist water penetration & freeze-thaw cycles. Accessibility: The Aqua tower is pretty much connected to all major roads. Like, you have the E Lower Wacker Dr, the N Columbus Dr & the E Randolph Street along the fringes. And if you ain’t coming by car, you still have the Chicago MDW airport at 12 miles, the Union Station at 2 miles, and the Columbus (Mid) & E. Wacker bus-stop right next to the site. Parking: Last year, I personally counted over 1500 car & 200 bicycle parking spaces along Aqua’s multi podium parking. Plus, the basement also has some 24 electric car charging stations. Verticality & Tight Airspace: As you see above, the Aqua tower already has so many hotels and skyscrapers around it. So Jeanne eventually had to oscillate the balconies to capture views within the tight airspace. How Was the Aqua Tower Chicago's Form Evolved as per the Site Constraints? Photo by Josh Sorenson: https://www.pexels.com/photo/modern-multistage-building-exterior-under-sky-in-city-976878/ Well, the story goes like Jeanne Gang had worked upon a really fluid & dynamic form for the Aqua tower. The overhangs were devised. The oscillations were fixed. In fact, the team even made a physical 1:20 model, with all the existing & planned buildings for better visualization. But then, there was a problem! So basically, the lower floors had no views! The only elements visible were raw, concrete facades of hotels, office towers & other residential towers. Yes, the team did mark some sight lines between the cracks of street buildings and adjacent street corridors. But then, the design, as a whole, needed rework. So first, Jeanne extended simple taut strings to mark the existing view lines on her model. Then, her team translated it digitally to find out the angles & obstructions. But even then, the lower floors had far lesser views than the upper floors. So, they eventually gave it a thought, day & night. And that’s when Ar. Jeanne Gang had a Eureka moment. She simply sculpted the tower on all four sides. Now, the tower turned upright and offered really great views along all the corners. In fact, it even helped break the heavy wind flow & reduced energy consumption drastically. And finally, the form catered to everything - views, energy regulations, climate, etc. The Studio Gang Aqua Tower Site & Area Distribution So as you see, a huge chunk of aqua tower’s area plan (over 12,000 sq.m) consists of the offices & amenities on the first two floors. Of these, the office spaces consume 5100 sq.m, while the terraced gardens occupy over 7669 sq.m. Here are some more area details for your reference: -215 hotel rooms from level 1–18476 apartments on levels 19–52263 condos & penthouses from levels 19–80 -Barbecues, swimming pools, jacuzzis, saunas, jogging tracks, reading rooms, spas & other services on the first & second floor. The Chicago Aqua Tower Site Plan & Details ©Archwhispers.com So, as we see in the image above, the Chicago Aqua tower site plan is quite rectangular, except for the landscape & artificial contours. As of now, the site is quite clear, with clear views, no traffic, etc. But then, we have a lot of proposed buildings around the Aqua, especially along the Upper Columbus Drive. So there’s a possibility that a denser city fabric might surround the Aqua tower in the near future. So, rather than general panoramas, the Aqua might move towards navigable views that focus on just one area from one point. Regardless of these urban fabric issues, Aqua’s circulation is pretty straightforward. Like, you enter the complex from the left, where you have a drop-off & a podium parking. Then from here, you can either access the two-story plinth with retail, a ballroom, commercial spaces and lobbies. Or, you can walk down the two large public stairs towards the six-acre park. I also went towards the two eastern pools - a lap & a plunge pool during my last visit there. They had these wonderful white cabanas & decks; a total paradise indeed! I also felt that the design was pretty universal with ramps, elevators & over 2-m wide path pathways for wheelchairs. Fun Fact: Despite having multiple entrances at the north, west & podium levels, the studio gang aqua tower is really secure with branded key fobs, intercom & security personnel. How Does Vehicular & Pedestrian Traffic Flow at the Aqua Tower? So as I mentioned earlier, the traffic flow at the Aqua tower is pretty sorted. Like, you’ve fully canopied pathways, right from the building’s entrance to the pool & landscape. Similarly, there are two public stairs & ramps that directly connect to Chicago’s downtown area & the lakefront. I’ve also observed that the tower connects to Chicago’s pedway system, the one that links retail & offices on the Magnificent Mile. Other than that, the three level garages & below-subfloor exits are a definite plus! Fun Fact: The Aqua tower has one of the largest rooftop garden (80,000 sq. feet) on its two-story podium. Plus, this garden has native & adaptive plant species, rooftop cabanas, pools, seating areas & running tracks. What's So Special About the Aqua Tower Plan? ©Archwhispers.com Now, I know that the Aqua tower has a different floor plate on each level due to the undulating balconies, but still there are some features we can discuss as a whole. The east-west orientation, for example. It does maximize the solar exposure and aid passive heating in winter. Pretty meticulous, right? Well, here are some more aqua tower plan features for you to learn: Hotels, residential areas, offices & retail spaces all in one structure. A central reinforced concrete core with all the elevators, service shafts and staircases for vertical movement Different undulations as per the natural light, ventilation and views for each floor. So, we literally have 82 sets of individual floor plans! Public & semi-public spaces, such as retail stores, lobbies, and shared amenities like fitness centers and conference rooms on the lower floors. Even the very famous Radisson blue aqua hotel lies here! Variety of layouts, from compact studios to expansive multi-bedroom apartments on the residential floors Luxury pent-houses & premium office spaces with higher ceilings and premium finishes on the uppermost floors Note: Despite the Aqua tower’s award-winning central-core strategy, I felt that it was a bit too much to walk, especially from the outer floor plates. So maybe, we can consider shuttle, bicycle or mobility scooter services in the near future. What Are the Main Features of the Aqua Tower Chicago Section? ©Archwhispers.com So as you learned above, the Aqua tower’s section is a mix of undulations - waves and flares as per the wind, passive heating & views. The first 14 levels are hotels, the next 40 are rental apartments, while the remaining 27 floors consist of condominiums & penthouses. Moreover, over 46% of the tower receives more than 4 hrs of direct, natural sunlight daily, enough to grow plants & maintain heat. Plus, the undulating balconies minimize the wind tunnel effect by over 40%. They also filter the summer sun angle & welcome the low-angle winter sun. Thus, residents have warm, balanced-pressure balconies at all times. Note: No doubt, the Aqua tower literally has the top mechanisms to combat solar gain & wind turbulence. But, then, I felt there was a small urban heat island effect on the lower floors, especially in the summers. So maybe we can think of adding some more pools, fountains or misting devices to combat this better. Smart Backlinking Starts Here!SEO isn’t magic, but a well-placed link can work wonders. Insert yours into any of your favorite Archwhispers blogs and connect your brand with our thought-provoking architectural pieces for maximum impact. The result? More traffic, more web-authority & better rankings, for sure!Yes, I am interested! The Aqua Tower Structural System & Technical Details Needless to say, the Aqua tower’s structural system needed a strong, stable foundation. I mean, anything could happen at a height of 876 feet. The tower might give away to wind pressure, the glazing may break or worse, the framework might just collapse. So, a solid Aqua tower system was a must. It was at this time that Magnusson Klemencic Associates, one of the most top-tier structural engineers, stepped in. Their approach was simple - using concrete cores, stepped concrete shear walls & reinforcements. Here are some more specific details for you: Use of outrigger walls (horizontal structural elements between the core & perimeter columns) on levels 55 to 58 & 81–82. Installing belt walls (deep, stiff perimeter beams) at level 57 Use of over 31 drilled rock caissons, each over 4–10 feet in diameter & 112 feet deep) under the building columns A 6–10m layer of hard, crushed dolomite to stabilize soil & foundation A slip-form-style reinforced concrete central core for the stairs, elevators & other utilities. Deep structural transfer beams at the retail & residential levels for point load distribution. How Was the Chicago Aqua Tower Constructed? You know, constructing & shaping this tower from scratch was really quite tricky for the aqua tower architect. But still, there are some steps that the team followed: Step 1. Building Caissons o, the team first drilled over 110 m in hard rock for the caisson framework. Then, they pumped in 274 bells of compressed air, added smaller sunken clay pellets for support and finally rammed in a 6m layer of crushed dolomite. Step 2: Working with Steel Next, they constructed a solid steel structure on levels 1, 2 & 3. And this, my friends, had all your wide flange beams and hollow structural sections for even weight distribution. Even the joints were bolted with A325 or A490 bolts for stronger, flexible connections. Step 3: Creating a Metal Tray Then, the team curated a structural, makeshift metal tray to just pour the concrete and set it in place. And you know what? This also helped transfer a part of the column load to the walls, instead of flagstones & slabs. Step 4: Shuttering & GPS Finally, the team laid the curved shuttering by noting the co-ordinates from the CAD softwares & GPS. And surprisingly, each floor plate’s shuttering had a curve to reduce the wight & material costs drastically. Fun - Fact: The Aqua tower’s underground garage has an electric-vehicle charging station for the public, at extremely affordable costs. What Makes the Aqua Tower's Undulating Slabs Stand Out So Much? Photo by Willian Justen de Vasconcellos: https://www.pexels.com/photo/modern-wave-like-architectural-facade-28881039/ So, as we all know, the Aqua tower’s undulating balconies aren’t just for show. They literally are an architectural marvel based on the site’s views, wind conditions & climate. And, some of these slabs extend beyond 12-feet, almost double the 6-foot balcony standard of the USA. So, how did the Aqua tower architect even build it? Well, first things first - the formwork! So, the team built large 30 X 50” columns at a spacing of 28 feet. Next, they pre-stressed the slabs with steel. This brought down the slab thickness to 9-inches, instead of the normal 12” slabs. And finally, they used a unique steel formwork to transfer the wet concrete loads directly to the steel trusses & columns. Thus, there was no area load on the slabs & the architect could extend them more. Note: Although the Aqua tower system is an engineering marvel, I personally feel it might prove costly to repair or retrofit those joints in the future. How Does the Aqua Tower Tackle Wind Force? You know, when it comes to building super tall skyscrapers, wind is just as big of a deal as gravity. Seriously! It really messes with how much a building sways and how cozy people feel inside. And, the Aqua tower tackles it all with its mix of good old concrete shear walls, a solid central core, and these cool outrigger and belt walls. The outriggers on levels 55-58 and 81-82 are like ski poles for the building ! Basically, they help keep everything steady by working together with all the columns to distribute wind loads efficiently. And you know what? Experts even did some wind tunnel tests and found that the wavy edges of the slabs actually confuse the wind, which means less stress on the building. Plus, they didn’t even need a fancy tuned mass damper because this tower’s design is just as smart as it looks! How Did Jeanne Gang Go About Aqua Tower's Foundation? You know how construction workers go about the foundations in Chicago? Well, they simply insert some belled caissons at about 70 feet in solid ground. These ultimately bear the seismic contractions, soil sway and flooding. But then, Aqua tower is over 82 stories high! Plus, it’s located so close to Lake Michigan. So, it definitely needed something extra! So engineers went for these 100 feet long rock caisson foundation. They are over 5 X 10 feet wide, 6-feet deep and have a super strong 9,000-psi concrete core. And surprisingly, they handle over 10 times more of the pressure (that’s 500 ksf if you want to get technical). Plus, some Osterberg Load Cell Tests also say that they have over 30 - 35% more safety margins than required. So yes, the Aqua tower has the most solid foundation system ever! What Are the Materials Used to Structure the Chicago Aqua Tower? Photo by Dom Sch-veg-man: https://www.pexels.com/photo/low-angle-shot-of-a-building-14635973/ The Chicago Aqua tower indeed uses a simple mix of reinforced concrete, steel & glass for most of its structure. But even then, there are a lot of secondary materials - tinted coatings & fritted panels for example, in the details. Here’s a brief summary of them all: Glass: So, the Aqua tower uses a low-e, low emissivity & high performance glass for most of its facade. But then, there’s a bit of reflective glass on the east & south facades for more heat gain. The west facades, on the other hand, have tinted glass to improve the shading coefficient. Plus, there are fritted glass panels on both sides of the glazing to minimize bird strikes. A soft, 300,000 sq.m crystal skin for more reflectivity or opacity as per the measured sun heating for each balcony Painted, black steel balustrade instead of clear glass for better view & budget Insulating paint on each of the balcony slabs to reduce heat transfer into or out of the apartments. Cast-in-situ Hormigón slabs (reinforced slabs with metal sheets on top) to reduce slab weight & buckling FAQs 1.When Was the Aqua Tower Built? Developers started building the Aqua tower in 2007. But, the construction was completed by 2010 due to the undulating balconies, framework & complex structure. 2. What Are the Materials Used in the Aqua Tower Chicago Interior? Well, the architects used a mix of sustainable & recyclable bamboo for the floors & panels, along with energy star-rated appliances & plumbing fixtures - toilets, faucets & shower heads in the aqua tower Chicago interior. 3.How is the Aqua Tower Water System? The Aqua tower water system primarily focuses on reducing water-consumption using rainwater harvesting and gray water recycling. So, water from sinks & showers is recycled and used for cooling & flushing, while the rainwater is reused for irrigation. 4. Is the Aqua Tower Chicago a Green Building? Yes, the Aqua is a green building and has a silver LEED certification due to its unique heat-gain-reducing facade design, temperature control strategies, rainwater collection system & energy-efficient lighting. Conclusion So now that you know all about the plans, elevations & sectional details of the Aqua tower, it's time to unlock your Aqua moment! Whether it’s the undulating balconies, the sun shades, the sustainable features or the integration of such a huge area plan, there’s so much for architects! For starters, balconies don’t have to be boring rectangles, wind dampers can be included right in the design itself, and yeah! The sun-studies, which you take really casually in your academic studios, are way too important for the client’s comfort! What more architectural lessons did you learn from the Aqua tower? Let us know in the comments! And oh! If you are looking for similar high-density housing case-studies, maybe our analysis on Moshe Safdie’s Habitat 67 will help you out!

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