image via Archidose

The AQUA tower in the Lakeshore East development in Chicago by Studio Gang has one of the coolest facades I’ve seen for a tower. The design consists of a glass tower wrapped in cantilevered terraces. The designers say that “Its powerful form suggests the limestone outcroppings and geologic forces that shaped the great lakes region.”

However I think the form better captures the essence of water ripples from the wind. By varying the depths and shapes of the curves gradually up and around the tower, the wave-like terrain is created as if capturing a ripple in time. The resulting building is stunning from all angles and distances.

image via stock.xchng

image via Archidose

From the designers website: “In an increasingly dense city like Chicago, views from a new tower must be negotiated between existing buildings. Aqua tower considers criteria such as views, solar shading and function to derive a vertical system of contours that gives the structure its sculptural form.”

image via Archidose

“Its vertical topography is defined by its outdoor terraces that gradually change in plan over the length of the tower. These terraces offer a strong connection to the outdoors and allow inhabitants to occupy the building façade and city simultaneously. The result is a highly sculptural building when viewed obliquely that transforms into a slender rectangle from further away.”

image via Archidose