The 411 on 444 West Lake
If you love downtown Chicago and you love parks, there’s good news waiting for you on the west bank of the Chicago River. Loop Spy Chris dunked a couple of dozen photos into our tip line showing the newly completed park in front of River Point (444 West Lake Street). It’s hard to believe that just a couple of short years ago, this area was covered in gravel, smelled like diesel exhaust, and punctuated by the shrieks of...
The Tops: River Point Edition
It’s been a long time since we’ve done an edition of The Tops, where we show you the tops of Chicago buildings that people normally can’t see. This time it’s the top of River Point at 444 West Lake Street, where construction crews are glassing over the angles and curves imagined by Pickard Chilton Architects for Hines and Ivanhoé Cambridge. The picture, like so many others, comes from Joe Zekas over at...
Slice of Life: Chicago’s Glitter Gulch
The number of skyscrapers lining the confluence of the Chicago River recently increased by three. You might think that would have a serious impact on the brightness of the area, but as always — Nature finds a way. Such is demonstrated in this photograph by Joe Zekas of YoChicago!. You can see sunlight reflecting off the towers, scattering sunbeams all across the river in a dazzling display. You can also see the intense progress...
The Park at River Point is Starting to Look Like a Park
It’s hard to believe that we’ve been following River Point for eight years. Back when it was approved in 2008, it was just known as 444 West Lake, and the park along the riverfront was just a dream. The narrow riverwalk portion of the project has been open for quite a while, and now the 1.5 acre elevated riverfront park looks like it’s getting close to becoming reality, too. The park is elevated because in reality, it is a cap for the...
A Crane Goes to Nest, and a Construction Nexus is Calmed
For the past year, if you wanted to be someplace in downtown Chicago that simply tingled with promise, progress, and prosperity, that place was the confluence of the Main and North Branches of the Chicago River. Simultaneously, bKL’s Wolf Point West was going up, CDOT’s Riverwalk was being expanded, Pickard Chilton’s River Point stretched upward, and Goettsch’s 150 North Riverside started its impossible...
Slice of Lights: River Point Illuminates the Chicago River
As River Point (444 West Lake Street) continues to climb toward its ultimate 730-foot height, we feel the need to remind ourselves the tower will look so much more spectacular once completed. That may seem rather obvious, but passing by, especially after dark, continues to be one of our favorite pastimes at the Chicago Architecture Blog. There are lots of construction sites around Chicago that will instantly grab your attention, but...
Status Update: WAY UP-dates
We’ve already told you our feelings on Aon Center stealing the show at Open House Chicago 2015. One of our favorite features of Aon’s 71st-floor vantage point, as well as the one high atop the Kemper Building‘s 41st-floor observation deck (new windows!) was being able to look out across the city and check on the progress of several construction projects. It’s one thing to stand at street level and look up to...
Morton Salt to Dissolve Iconic Elston Avenue Terminal
You can see her umbrella from the Kennedy Expressway—the Morton Salt Girl’s appearance means commuters only have a few more miles to go to reach the Circle Interchange. Morton Salt will discontinue packaging and warehousing at the 1357 North Elston Avenue facility next month. Morton announced yesterday that it would continue to use the location in some capacity. It will no longer be used to store ice melting and bulk salts,...
![River Point From the Top Down [u]](https://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Screen-Shot-2015-08-28-at-4.58.39-PM-240x240.jpg)
River Point From the Top Down [u]
Chicago’s most photographed skyscrapers are usually the Willis Tower, the Hancock Center, and the Wrigley Building. These days it’s the construction trifecta racing to the sky along the Chicago River — River Point, 150 North Riverside, and Wolf Point West. Paul Kulon sent in this picture showing all of River Point in its under-construction glory. He took the photo from the slightly-less under construction Wolf Point West...
River Point Slips Into Something Tight and Shiny
River Point (444 West Lake Street) has been shrouded in mystery from the get-go. We’ve been able to watch the core grow up through the center of the tower, but all the exterior work has been covered, shielding outsiders from peering in. So it was a delight to wander past River Point last week and see the curtain raised just enough to reveal its latest outfit: glass. Luxurious, curved, blue-sky-reflecting glass. According to...
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