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Chicago's Lake Point Tower is turning 50

2018-09-20T18:33:00-04:00

As Lake Point Tower, once the world’s tallest all-residential high-rise, celebrates its 50th anniversary this weekend, it’s an apt time to reflect on its legacy. The 70-story condominium tower, which sits just west of Navy Pier at 505 N. Lake Shore Drive, is both hero and villain, though it is more the former than the latter.

Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin looks back at the history and the significance of Lake Point Tower; as he calls it "by all accounts a spectacular and rare object — a poetic expression of curves in a city that worships the right angle."

Editor's Picks #331

2013-09-03T12:39:00-04:00

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Blair Kamin, Chicago Tribune architecture critic tweeted "George Schipporeit, co-architect of Chicago's suavely-curving Lake Point Tower, once the world's tallest all-residential building, has died".

Donna Sink offered up her memories "I spent a summer living in that building. It's very lovely and graceful, though I like ‘suavely-curved’ much better as a descriptor! The views are unmatched, IMO, still. Breathtaking...Back then its only drawback was that it was very removed from the activity of the city. It was a bleak walk for several blocks to get back into the hustle of daily life in a city. These days it's surrounded by smaller scale housing, retail, and the much-improved Navy Pier, yes?"

thisisnotmyname answered "Somewhat. A few more adjacent sites need to fill in. Lake Point Tower is still one of the finest examples of residential high rise design in Chicago".

Over at the New Yorker Elizabeth Greenspan chatted with Daniel Libeskind and discussed the openin...

George Schipporeit, co-architect of Chicago's Lake Point Tower, has died

2013-08-29T18:23:00-04:00

George Schipporeit, co-architect of Chicago's suavely-curving Lake Point Tower, once the world's tallest all-residential building, has died.