| Lake Point Tower | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Interactive map of Lake Point Tower | |
| General information | |
| Location | Chicago,Illinois,United States |
| Coordinates | 41°53′30″N87°36′44″W / 41.89167°N 87.61222°W /41.89167; -87.61222 |
| Construction started | 1965 |
| Completed | 1968 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 645 ft (197 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 70 |
| Floor area | 1,299,990 sq ft (120,773 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | Schipporeit & Heinrich |
| References | |
| [1] | |
Lake Point Tower is a residentialskyscraper located on a promontory of theLake Michigan waterfront inChicago, just north of theChicago River at 505 NorthLake Shore Drive. Completed in 1968, it has a curving three-wing design. The building is in theStreeterville neighborhood on theNear North Side and is adjacent toNavy Pier; it is the city's only skyscraper east of Lake Shore Drive.
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 ofLudwig Mies van der Rohe, one of the best known architects of theBauhaus movement andInternational Style school, who taught at theIllinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. Lake Point Tower was completed in 1968, is approximately 645 feet (197 m) tall, and was the tallestapartment 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 allow multiple distinct views from single apartments.[2]
This building's tall, curved, three-wing 'Y' shape was an inspiration for theBurj Khalifa tower inDubai,United Arab Emirates by Chicago-born architectAdrian Smith.[3]
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 andNavy 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[citation needed] 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.
Lake Point Tower has been host to many shoots including:
