new addition to chicago skyline

Proposed for a prominent 2.2 acre site on North Water Street, adjacent to Lake Shore Drive and near the entrance to Navy Pier, the Fordham Spire will rise to a height of 1,458 feet at its roof and approximately 2,000 feet at the tip of its spire, making it the tallest building in the nation.


Some 50,000 square feet of retail and support space is planned for the podium floors overlooking the river and Lake Michigan. Santiago Calatrava’s design is a tall, slender form whose glass facade seems to ripple downward in waves, like the folds of a cloak swirling around a figure. This effect is achieved by means of a structural innovation.

Each floor unit of the tower is built out from the central core like a separate box, with gently curving, concave sides. As these boxes are stacked up, each is rotated by a little more than 2 degrees from the one below. The result is that the floors turn 270 degrees around the core as they rise, giving the facade an impression of movement.

The twisting form of the tower provides a structural advantage by reducing the impact of wind turbulence, which affects all tall buildings. The irregularity of the tower’s surface ensures that wind forces are reflected from the facade in multiple directions, rather than building up as a single force. In this way, the design averts extremes of lateral movement.

Plans for the 920,000 square foot structure include a five-star hotel and 250 of luxurious condominium residences. The remaining 85% of the site will be left open for landscaped gardens, with access provided from the site to DuSable Park and the lakefront. This project begins construction in 2006 and is scheduled to be completed by 2010.