2400 Lakeview Apartments

2400 Lakeview Apartments
  1. About the 2400 Lakeview Apartments in Chicago
  2. Architect and team
  3. Architectureal style
  4. Spaces and uses
  5. Structure and materials

The 2400 Lakeview Apartments is an International Style skyscraper designed in 1960 by Mies van der Rohe and built between 1961 and 1963 in Chicago, IL.

Its precise street address is 2400 N Lakeview Ave, Chicago, IL. You can also find it on the map here.

The building, that appeared in the movie 'What Women Want', was Mies van der Rohe's final residential building in Chicago.

At the time of its completion in 1963 the 2400 Lakeview Apartments incorporated solutions that were quite advanced at the time, these included centralized air conditioning system.

Building's timeline

Design completed
1960
64
Construction begins
1961
63
Construction completed
1963
61
years ago
2024

Architect and team

Mies van der Rohe was the architecture firm in charge of the architectural design.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was born in 1886 in Germany. During the first part of his career, he ran his own practice in Berlin, and later on became the director of the Bauhaus School of Architecture.

Mies is considered one of the fathers of modern architecture. His work played an instrumental role in defining the aesthetics of the International Style, emphasizing simplicity, clean lines, and the use of modern materials like steel and glass. His famous statement, "less is more" sums up his design philosophy, which advocated for the elimination of unnecessary ornamentation and a return to the fundamental principles of architecture.

After the Bauhaus was shut down by the Natzi regime, he emigrated to Chicago. There he became the director of the IIT School of Architecture, as well as ran his own architectural firm. During his years in Chicago he continued to explore and promote the principles of the International Style, and had a huge impact on the development of modern skyscrapers.

His legacy can not only be found spread throughout Europe and the US in the shape of iconic buildings such as the German Pavilion, the Tugendhat House, the Crown Hall or the Seagram Building, but also in the architecture curriculum he developed at the IIT which greatly influenced many generations of architects, even to this day.

Mies Van Der Rohe

Architectural Style

The 2400 Lakeview Apartments can be categorized as an International Style building.

The international style originated in Europe in the early 20th century, and made its way to the US a couple of decades later when the rise of the Nazi regime forced figures such as Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, or Mies van der Rohe to flee Europe.

The International Style emerged as a response to the prevailing historicism and ornate architecture styles of the late 19th century, which according to a younger generation of architects didn't represent the new materials and construction techniques that were on the rise at the time.

Architecture in the early 20th century US was marked by the adoption of steel structures, modern construction techniques, and the rise of the skyscraper. As it turns out, this combination of circumstances created the perfect ecosystem for the International Style to flourish, becoming the to-go style for skyscraper designs during the mid-20th century, when American cities were growing fast.

The International Style’s legacy can not only be found in numerous iconic buildings across all major American cities, but also incorporated in contemporary architecture, which still puts a big emphasis on functionality and minimalism.

The 2400 Lakeview Apartments was completed in 1963. By 1963 the International Style movement had already left its early days behind and could be considered a mature movement, which does not mean it was loved and accepted by everyone, on the contrary. The International Style was accepted by the architecture community way before it was by the general public, and it is therefore likely that the 2400 Lakeview Apartments was not well received by everyone at the time.

Spaces & Uses

It has a total of 31 floors, 30 above ground and 1 basements.

Ever since opening its doors to the public in 1963, the 2400 Lakeview Apartments has mainly been used as Residential space.

About the residences

The 2400 Lakeview Apartments has a total of 264 residential units throughout its 30 floors.

Materials & Structure

The 2400 Lakeview Apartments uses a frame structure made of concrete columns and beams.

A frame structure uses a combination of beams and columns to sustain the building's weight. The walls in this case are non-load bearing, which allows for more flexibility when distributing the interior spaces.

The facade is non-load bearing either, as it is common in frame structure type buildings.

The perimeter pillars are smaller in size compared to the central ones because their structural demands are lesser. However, this feature is not visible due to the aluminum cladding that covers all of them, which helps unify the appearance of all the pillars.

The structure's framework extends throughout the plot and continues into the basement where the garage is located

From an aesthetic point of view, the facade features a curtain wall of tinted glass and natural aluminum.

The access to the building's lobby happens via steps from the street level. As in many other of Mies's buildings, the lobby is set back from the main facade and is glazed, allowing for greater natural light intake and connection to the exterior surroundings.

Sources

  • es.wikiarquitectura.com
  • www.urbanrealestate.com
  • www.lincolnparkcondos.com