Aqua

Address

225 North Columbus Drive

Chicago, Illinois 60601

Photograph © Wayne Lorentz
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Construction progress as of October, 2008
Photograph © Wayne Lorentz/Artefaqs Corporation
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Construction progress: April, 2008
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Construction progress as of September, 2007
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Construction progress as of September, 2006
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Basic Information

Designed by	Loewenberg Architects and Studio/Gang/Architects
Cost	$475,000,000
Type	Skyscraper
Floors:	82
Neighborhood:	The Loop

More Information

Architect: Jeanne Gang
Architect: Jim Loewenberg
Design architecture firm: Studio Gang Architects
Architect of record: Loewenberg & Associates
Developer: Magellan Development
It is often said that this is the tallest building designed by a woman. This is incorrect. However, it is the tallest building in the United States designed by a woman.
The hotel has a 20,000 square-foot ballroom.
This building formerly used the address 430 East Waterside Drive.
This building's balconies have a total of seven miles of railings.
This building rests on 31 main rock caissons drilled 112 feet deep and six feet into a layer of dolomite. These are supplemented by 274 smaller bell caissons sunk into clay.
During construction, crews called the areas where the balconies fade away "burn zones."
This was one of the filming locations for the 2011 movie Transformers 3.
Because of the building's rippling balconies, each floor plate is unique and each level's concrete pour was different.

September 1, 2006: Groundbreaking.
October 3, 2008: Crain's Chicago Business reported that Strategic Hotels & Resorts has pulled out of its $84 million deal to buy 15 floors of this building to expand the Fairmont Hotel across Columbus Drive.
2009: Plans to develop the hotel portion of this building were put on hold when the developer's hotel partner backed off its expansion plans.
November 16, 2009: This building was connected to the Chicago pedway system.
May 14, 2010: Carlson Hotels Worldwide bought the hotel portion of this building and announced plans to spend $125 million developing it into the first Raddison Blu in America.
September, 2010: This building was named #22 on Chicago Magazine's list of the Top 40 Buildings in Chicago.
November, 2010: Construction began on the hotel portion of this project.
December, 2011: A Radisson Blu opened in this building's hotel space.