150 North Riverside is the new, tall kid on the block in Chicago's West Loop, on a narrow 2-acre riverfront site between Randolph and Lake Streets. Operating since February, the 54-story office tower made its official debut during a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday.

Designed by locally based Goettsch Partners, the massive tower sits atop a narrow base, which fits between seven active Amtrak rail lines to the west and the Chicago River to the east. 

Photos © Nick Ulivieri.

With the first full floor at Level 8 and over 100 feet above the plaza, the tower includes column-free office floors and offers 1.25 million square feet of rentable space, currently leased by tenants like William Blair & Co., Hyatt Hotels Corp., Navigant Consulting, and law firm Polsinelli.

Rendering of the plaza. © Goettsch Partners.

The scheme's floor plans average at approximately 28,000 square feet with potential room for 12 corner offices. It also includes restaurants, a fitness center, a large conference center, a public park, and a one-story underground parking garage.

The lobby and 150 Media Stream installation. Photos © Nick Ulivieri.

Photo © Nick Ulivieri.

“Utilizing a core-supported structure, the design features a compact building footprint with a 20:1 height-to-base ratio that opens the ground plane and allows for a dramatic, light-filled lobby,” Goettsch Partners describes. Designed to take advantage of its complex riverfront site, “how the building meets the ground is even more important than how it meets the sky,” Goettsch Partners CEO James Goettsch stated.