The second GEMS World Academy (355 East Wacker Drive) school building in Lakeshore East has been given the green light to start another round of construction. The City of Chicago has issued permits to start work on the part of the bKL Architecture project that you might actually see.
Rendering of the new GEMS World Academy Chicago Middle-Upper School (Courtesy of bKL Architecture)
FOUNDATION AND SUPERSTRUCTURE FROM LOWER WACKER TO UPPER WACKER TO INCLUDE UNDERSLAB PLUMBING FOR PROPOSED 13-STORY GRADE 8 – 12 SCHOOL. CAISSON ONLY PERMIT # 100688604, GRADE BEAM PERMIT #100725098
To date, the location of the second school building has looked like a dirt lot in the shadow of the extremely busy construction next door at the Vista Tower, which bKL also has a hand in. In fact, the caissons have been hiding underground for a while now. With this new permit, it will soon be time to start putting up bits of the building people can actually see. That is, once Old Man Winter gives us a break.
Location: 355 East Wacker Drive, The Loop
Editor founded the Chicago Architecture Blog in 2003, after a long career in journalism. He can be reached at chicagoarchitectureinfo@gmail.com.
February 13, 2018
Were the caissons built during school phase 1 construction, as part of Wanda Vista, or some other time?