Chicago's new Studio Gang-designed tower to have a blow-through floor

2017-07-24T14:25:00-04:00

...So today's engineers battle not only the force of gravity but the the whirling pockets of wind, known as vortices, that can cause towers to shake or vibrate. Failure to do so would make the motion of the building — or "acceleration," as engineers call it — uncomfortably noticeable.

Tunnel tests for Chicago's future third-tallest skyscraper showed that the plan for the building—three thin, interconnected high-rises designed by Studio Gang—would not be able to withstand high winds. According to the engineers, the design for the Vista tower "would result in building occupants feeling ill and possibly afraid for their safety," Chicago's zoning administrator, Patricia Scudiero, wrote in an April 26 letter to Jack George, a lawyer for project's developers.

To resolve that flaw, the developers requested — and the city okayed — a change to the already-approved plan for the building: the 83rd floor of the 98-story, 1,198-foot East Wacker Drive tower will now be an empty space that Chicago's famous winds can blow through. The blow-through floor, a facade opening, will serve as a vent to relieve wind pressure.

Vista Tower skyline Image courtesy of Magellan Development Group

To further weave the floor into the tower, vertical bands present on the rest of the facade will e...

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Chicago's new Studio Gang-designed tower to have a blow-through floor