Here Are The Skyscrapers Set To Change Chicago's Skyline

By Kate Shepherd in News on Oct 5, 2015 1:45PM

Wanda Vista Tower Handout

Over the past few months, a slew of world-famous architects and development companies have proposed or or started building several stunning new skyscrapers that will alter Chicago's skyline and shake up the city's tallest building rankings over the next few years.

From the Wanda Vista Tower to the new Helmut Jahn project, here's a round-up of some of these groundbreaking buildings:

Wanda Vista Tower:

Handout

The Jeanne Gang-designed development is a set of three interconnected, side-by-side high-rises covered with blue-green glass. The tallest tower clocks in at 1,100-feet which would make it one of the tallest buildings in Chicago. The complex located on East Upper Wacker Drive in Lakeshore East could include 390 apartment units and a 250-room five-star hotel. China's Wanda Group and Chicago's Magellan Development Group will own the $950 million skyscraper.

Wolf Point:

rendering via Chicago Architecture Blog

River North's latest development will be at Wolf Point, the fork in the Chicago River where the North, South and Main Branches meet. The Kennedy family, which has owned the land since the '40s, decided to build a three-tower complex designed by César Pelli with apartments, offices and a hotel on the point a few years ago, according to Crain's. Construction is underway on the west tower right now and the renderings for the two other towers were revised this summer. The south tower, the project's tallest tower, will be at least 900 feet.

Helmut Jahn-designed tower at 1000 S. Michigan Ave.:

JAHN

Plans for a new Helmut Jahn-designed 86-story residential tower in the South Loop were unveiled last month. About 506 residential units, 598 parking spaces and retail space are all planned for the glassy tower, which would be the tallest ever designed by Jahn. The units would be a mixture of rentals and condos.

Rafael Viñoly-designed 76-story tower at 113 E. Roosevelt Rd.:

Curbed

There's no doubt that the South Loop is booming. Just hours before plans for the Jahn-designed skyscraper were revealed in September, the 76-story Viñoly-designed tower to anchor the south end of Grant Park was announced. It might actually end up being twin skyscrapers and not just one building, according to Curbed. The proposed building would include 800 apartments and 125,000 square feet of retail space. Viñoly wants to offer options for people in different price ranges and with varying needs and said that it is "not just an architectural idea, but an urban design idea" at a meeting.

[H/T Reddit]