OneEleven Building

The OneEleven Building is a Contemporary skyscraper designed in 2012 by Handel Architects LLP, with Gary Handel as lead architect, in association with A. Epstein and Sons International, and built between 2013 and 2014 in Chicago, IL.

OneEleven Building is not the only name you might know this building by though. It is common for companies to want to attach their names to iconic buildings when they move in, or for the general public to come up with nicknames, and this one is no exception. The OneEleven Building is also known, or has been known as, Waterview Tower, or 111 W. Wacker.

Its precise street address is 111 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL. You can also find it on the map here.

The OneEleven Building has received multiple architecture awards for its architectural design since 2014. The following is a list of such prizes and awards:

• AIA Chicago Distinguished Buildings Award in 2015
• Best Residential/Hospitality Project - ENR Midwest in 2015
• Chicago Building Congress Merit Award - Over $55 Million - New Construction Chicago in 2015
• ULI Chicago Vision Award - Urban Land Institute (ULI) in 2015
• Development of the Year - Chicago Commercial Real Estate Awards in 2015
• Nominee, Best Tall Building Americas - CTBUH in 2015

The building was supposed to be completed by the end of 2009, but due to the worldwide financial crisis of 2008, which hit the United States particularly hard, the construction was stopped.

By 2012, the developers revived the project, although changing the concept almost completely. The original project was supposed to be a 28-story hotel, and the standing building is a 58-story residential tower.

Handel Architects LLP, with Gary Handel as the lead architect, was the architecture firm in charge of the architectural design, in association with A. Epstein and Sons International.

That being said, architecture is a complex discipline involving 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 OneEleven Building a reality:

• Halvorson and Partners in charge of Structural Engineering
• Lend Lease as the Main Contractor
• Lerch Bates in charge of Facade Consultancy
• Schindler as the company in charge of the elevators system
• Related Midwest as the Main Developer
• Cosentini in charge of MEP Engineering
• KMDG in charge of Landscape Architecture
• Kara Mann Design in charge of Interior Design

The OneEleven Building can be categorized as a Contemporary building.

That being said, and even thought being a contemporary building, probably taking advantage of modern materials, construction techniques, and technology, the design of the OneEleven Building is inspired by the international-style style.

The OneEleven Building 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 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.

From an aesthetic point of view, the facade features a curtain with a recessed glass ribbon that elegantly envelops the building, extending seamlessly from its base to the penthouses. As this ribbon climbs up the tower, it not only enhances the visual appeal of the building but also provides opportunities to create green spaces and balconies. On the 25th floor, the ribbon gracefully integrates with the setback of its western neighbor, before curving again to culminate in a verdant rooftop atop the building podium, continuing its ascent toward the sky.