Lake Point Tower

Lake Point Tower is a residential skyscraper located on a promontory of the Lake Michigan waterfront in Chicago, just north of the Chicago River at 505 North Lake Shore Drive. Completed in 1968, it is in the Streeterville neighborhood on the Near North Side. Located adjacent to Navy Pier, the building is the only skyscraper in the city east of Lake Shore Drive.

Lake Point Tower
Lake Point Tower is located in Chicago metropolitan area
Lake Point Tower
Location within Chicago metropolitan area
Lake Point Tower is located in Illinois
Lake Point Tower
Lake Point Tower (Illinois)
Lake Point Tower is located in the United States
Lake Point Tower
Lake Point Tower (the United States)
General information
LocationChicago, Illinois, United States
Coordinates41°53′30″N 87°36′44″W
Construction started1965
Completed1968
Height
Roof645 ft (197 m)
Technical details
Floor count70
Floor area1,299,990 sq ft (120,773 m2)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Schipporeit & Heinrich
References
[1]

Its tall curved three wing 'Y' shape was an inspiration for the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates by Chicago-born architect Adrian Smith.[2]

Development
Lake Point Tower from St. Regis Chicago between Navy Pier and Lake Shore Drive, 2022

The architects for Lake Point Tower were John Heinrich and George Schipporeit, working under the firm name of Schipporeit and Heinrich; the two were students of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, one of the best known architects of the Bauhaus movement and International Style school, who taught at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. Lake Point Tower was completed in 1968, is approximately 645 feet (197 m) tall, and was the tallest apartment building in the world at that time. The project developer was William F. Hartnett, Jr., chairman and founder of Hartnett-Shaw Development Company, which was responsible for more than 260 residential and commercial real estate developments in the United States from 1961–1983.

Because of its height and lakeside site, the skyscraper had to be designed to withstand high winds. At the center of the building is a triangular core, 59 feet wide, that contains nine elevators and three stairwells. This core holds all of the vertical weight of the building, allowing the perimeter columns on the facade to be much smaller.

Radiating from the core are three arms that form an asymmetrical Y-shaped floor plan. The original four-armed design was changed to a three-armed design (120° apart). The outer walls are curved to prevent residents from seeing into other condominiums.[3] The façade of the building is a curtain of bronze-tinted glass framed by gold-anodized aluminum, which reflects the sunlight off of Lake Michigan and looks golden.[4]

Other features
Looking up at the tower in July 2018

Well known for its graceful curves and picturesque location, Lake Point Tower is the only major private structure on the east side of Lake Shore Drive. Its position between Lake Shore Drive and Navy Pier gives it unobstructed views in all directions that are protected by ordinances limiting construction on the city's waterfront.

Lake Point Tower was one of the first high-rise residential buildings in the world to feature all-electric appliances. It pioneered the concept of the "Park in the City," as the first residential complex in a major city to have its own two-and-one-half acre park—including a playground, pool, duck pond, and waterfalls — three stories above ground. There are shops and restaurants on the first two levels of the complex, under the park.

Film and television shot on location

Lake Point Tower has been host to many shoots including:

Notable residents

Position in Chicago's skyline
The skyline of a city with many large skyscrapers; in the foreground is a green park and a lake with many sailboats moored on it. Over 30 of the skyscrapers and some park features are labeled.

See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lake Point Tower (Chicago, Illinois).

References
  1. "Emporis building ID 116956". Emporis. Archived from the original on January 1, 2016.
  2. Kamin, Blair. "50 years later, Lake Point Tower is a singular achievement — and let's hope it stays that way". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
  3. Lepik, Andres (2005). Skyscrapers. Munich: Prestel. pp. 84–87.
  4. Blaser, Werner (1981). Mies van der Rohe: Continuing the Chicago School of Architecture. Basel: Birkhauser Verlag. pp. 224–27.

Further reading
  • Schulze, Franz; Kevin Harrington (2003). Chicago's Famous Buildings. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. p. 157.
  • Sinkevitch, Alice (1993). AIA Guide to Chicago. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace & Company. pp. 117–18.
  • Windhorst, Edward; Kevin Harrington (2009). Lake Point Tower: A Design History. Chicago Architecture Foundation. ASIN B003MTAHV8.
  • Skyscrapers, Antonino Terranova, White Star Publishers, 2003 (ISBN 8880952307)
  • In 2007, the American Institute of Architects listed Lake Point Tower as one of America's 150 favorite structures.
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