2400 Lakeview Apartments

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.

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

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

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.

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 uses a non-load bearing curtain wall system. This means the curtain wall modules are anchored to the building's structural frame, typically by being attached to the edge of the floor slabs. The curtain wall system connects to the slabs using brackets, anchors, and mullions, which transfer the loads imposed by wind and temperature changes, to the building's primary structural elements.

This setup allows the curtain wall to accommodate differential movement between the facade and the structural frame, such as thermal expansion, floor deflection, or sway from wind forces. This system's integration with the slab edges also allows for continuous insulation and weatherproofing layers.

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.