One Superior Place

The One Superior Place is a Modern Style skyscraper designed by Loewenberg + Associates, and built between 1998 and 1999 in Chicago, IL.

Its precise street address is 1 West Superior Street, Chicago, IL. You can also find it on the map here.

Adjacent to the building there's a 7-story-high building which serves as parking. On the ground floor there's commercial space, and on the rooftop of this shorter building is where the outdoor amenities of the building, such as the pool, are located. This base also has 3 extra elevators which do not continue up beyond the 7th floor.

Loewenberg + Associates was the architecture firm in charge of the architectural design.

The One Superior Place can be categorized as a Modern Style building.

The One Superior Place uses a frame structure made of reinforced 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 modular, or panelized system. This type of facade can function as either a window wall or a curtain wall, depending on the design. Unlike traditional glass curtain walls or window walls though, the modular facade is not primarily composed of glass. Instead, it often features more opaque panels that mimic masonry or stone-clad finishes, with smaller windows cut into the panels.

This type of facade allows the building to benefit from the modern qualities of a curtain wall while giving the design team flexibility to achieve visual aesthetics beyond the all-glass modern skyscraper.

From an aesthetic point of view, the facade features a modular precast concrete prefabricated facade with large windows in green frames.

All the units have ample balconies. The balconies are recessed, created by setting back the window walls rather than having them protrude from the facade. This design allows the balconies to be integrated within the building’s envelope, providing private outdoor spaces that are somehow protected from the wind.