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Perhaps no other development has generated as much interest recently as the proposed Chicago Spire. Currently still a 76-foot deep hole in the ground, with construction on hold but sales underway, this incredibly unique structure is anticipated to rise at East Randolph Street at the Chicago River in the Streeterville community. Depictions of the stunning, spiral-like architecture by Santiago Calartava have caused a stir not only around the City of Chicago, but around the globe. Residents of this amazing structure will undoubtedly have one of the most prestigious addresses in the world.
But why so much interest in a project that hasn’t yet gotten off the ground? Perhaps because there’s simply nothing else like it. Chicago Spire demonstrates that cutting edge architecture has the amazing ability to stir public opinion, pro and con.
And what better city than Chicago for the proposed Chicago Spire? After all, Chicago is arguably the birthplace of the skyscraper. The famous Home Insurance Building “soared” a grand total of 10 stories (later, 12) above the corner of LaSalle and Adams in 1884 and is widely believed to be the first structure to use a steel skeleton to support much of its weight. Now long since demolished, the Home Insurance Building gave birth to the distinctive Chicago school of architecture. The skyline of the great city has since been the subject of innumerable photographs as well as admiration from people around the world for well over 100 years.
Proposals for the look and function of Chicago Spire have been changed over time, but the most recent plans specify a height of 2,000 feet above the street with nearly 1,200 luxury condominium residences. Each story of the 150 floors is turned 2.4 degrees from the one below, resulting in a 360-degree rotation from bottom to top.
Chicago Spire may become a leader among “green” architecture, too. Plans call for Chicago River water to be used for cooling; ornithologically-sensitive glass to protect migratory birds; rainwater recycling and other methods to earn Gold Certification of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The Chicago Spire site is a deceivingly small patch of Chicago real estate bordered by Lake Shore Drive on the east, Ogden Slip on the north, the Chicago River on the south and townhouses on the west. Drilling for the foundation began in summer, 2007. The recent states of the economy and real estate market are commonly cited as the reasons the construction plans are on hold, but interest—and sales—is already hot for luxury living in one of the world’s most distinctive buildings.
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