Delivered through the design-build methodology for developer and owner CIM Group, the Marquee at Block 37 apartment tower is the final component to the existing mixed-use retail, office, and transit station development at Madison and State in Chicago. The 767,000-square-foot complex occupies an entire city block in the heart of Chicago’s theatre district. Built above a retail mall and subway transit line, the tower consists of 38 floors housing 690 apartments. Building amenities include a large outdoor pool, spas, steam and sauna facilities, cabanas, a grill terrace, fire pits, and an outdoor cinema projection. Indoor amenities include a fitness club room, lounge, game room, party room, cinema, and library. The tower deck offers residents stunning views of Lake Michigan and the cityscape of the downtown business district.

The site’s existing conditions posed significant design challenges. The east third of the tower is built over an existing, column-free, below-grade loading dock. To build a tower without the normal foundation-level support, SCB’s design used four 27-foot high by 90-foot long steel trusses. The high-strength steel was manufactured in Luxemburg and then cut and milled in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The pieces were then trucked to Chicago and built on-site with bolted connections. The central third of the tower is built with conventional concrete, while the west third lies over a future high-speed rail tunnel. Due to the unique angle of the tunnel and clear span requirements, the concrete structure at the fifth floor is comprised of a six-foot transfer slab.