860–880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments
1951Chicago, United States
Twin towers on Lake Michigan—an early completed form of high-rise housing in black steel frame and glass curtain wall.
Key: placement of the two towers and the I-beam expression on the façade. Housing that uses the same abstract vocabulary as office towers is worth watching.
Highlights
- Two-tower placement — Is symmetry for the view, or for structure and plan?
- Façade steel — Is the visible frame true structure, or expression?
Architects
Visit notes
Residential; interiors generally closed. Exterior from the lakefront; respect privacy.