Lake Point Tower

skyscraper
international-style
IL
Chicago

About the Lake Point Tower in Chicago
1. Prizes & Awards
Architect and team
Architectureal style
Spaces and uses
Structure and materials

The Lake Point Tower is an International Style skyscraper designed by Schipporeit & Heinrich, in association with Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, and built between 1965 and 1968 in Chicago, IL.

Its precise street address is 505 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL. You can also find it on the map here.

The Lake Point Tower has received multiple architecture awards for its architectural design since . The following is a list of such prizes and awards:

Chicago Building Congress Merit Award in 1968
Chicago Chapter AIA Distinguished Building Award in 1969
Chicago Chapter AIA Distinguished Merit Award in 1970
American Institute of Architects National Honor Award in 1970
Chicago Chapter AIA 25 Year Award in 1994
Mayor Daley’s Landscape Award in 2009
SOAR Beautification Award in 2019

The architects George D. Schipporeit and John Heinrich were students of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Some architecture critics note that the tower's dark, curved facade pays homage to Miesian modernist aesthetics, comparing it to the Glass Skyscraper that Mies designed in 1922 in Berlin.

Building's timeline

Construction begins

1965

Construction completed

1968

years ago

2024

Architect and team

Schipporeit & Heinrich was the architecture firm in charge of the architectural design, in association with Graham, Anderson, Probst & White. But there was also one other architect involved, as far as we know. We are talking about William Goodman.

Schipporeit & Heinrich and the other architects already mentioned were in charge of the architectural design, however, architecture is a complex discipline, which usually involves many professionals from different fields, without whom this building would have not been possible. We will surely be leaving out a lot of names here, but here is a list of the people we do know also played their part in making the Lake Point Tower a reality:

William Schmidt & Associates in charge of Structural Engineering
Crane Construction as the Main Contractor
William F. Hartnett Jr., and Charles Shaw as the Main Developer

Architectural Style

The Lake Point Tower 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 Lake Point Tower was completed in 1968. By 1968 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 Lake Point Tower was not well received by everyone at the time.

Spaces & Uses

The Lake Point Tower reaches an architectural height of 646ft (197m). It has a total of 70 floors, served by 9 elevators.

In regards to parking space, the building has a total of 709 spots available, which roughly equals 10 spots per floor (above ground).

Ever since opening its doors to the public in 1968, the Lake Point Tower has mainly been used as Residential space.

About the residences

The Lake Point Tower has a total of 725 residential units throughout its 70 floors.

Materials & Structure

The Lake Point Tower 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.

From an aesthetic point of view, the facade features a curvilinear curtain wall made of bronze polarized glass and golden anodized aluminum, which covers the Y-shaped structure. This layout allows all residences to have views of the lake while ensuring that occupants do not overlook each other.

The tower's four-level base, which houses the parking area, is clad in green glazed bricks.