The 53-story skyscraper that erased the vaguely Mid-Century General Growth Building is about to reach its penultimate height. 110 North Wacker kicked the squatty TuffShed-looking structure into the history books when Howard Hughes and Riverside Investment and Development decided to plant a Goettsch Partners design at this location.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the owners held a topping-off ceremony late last week, although the building won’t actually top off until later this month. Our freshly polished hardhat and recently laundered tuxedo T-shirt were not invited.
When complete, there will be a little more than 1.5 million square feet of office space, partially balanced above a 45-foot-wide riverwalk connecting Randolph Street with Washington Street. This will be the end of the line for this segment of the city’s Riverwalk system because just to the south is the Civic Opera Building, which hugs the Chicago River harder than Aunt Edna on a grandkid at Christmastime.
Location: 110 North 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.
October 7, 2019
The Chicago Architectural Biennial a couple years ago had an exhibit of concepts on how to add a river walk to the south branch of the Chicago River. Sure it’s narrow, but so is the path as it passes under bridges on the main branch. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Imagine all the people in 10 or 20 years wondering why there’s a continuous river walk south of Harrison and north of Lake, but not between. If the City hasn’t gone bankrupt then, I bet there’ll be a loud chorus demanding the segment get connected. Or that’s my crazy fantasy.