This week, the “Dead by Design” series of cancelled Chicago towers will focus its spotlight on One North Wacker Drive, an 83-story office tower in The Loop. In 1989, real estate developer Harvey Walken first proposed the 1,276-foot edifice, which at the time would have made it fourth tallest in the world behind only the Sears (now Willis) Tower and New York’s twin towers.
Much of the exterior scaffolding has now been removed from the 24-story Old Republic Building in The Loop, revealing the extensive nature of its facade restoration. The 325-foot-tall Classic Revival office tower at 307 N Michigan Avenue was originally planned by the Bell and Zoller Coal Company and designed by Vitzthum & Burns.
Chicago’s formative architectural history is not always visible if one were to walk around. Much like the city’s dozens of demolished high rises (more on that later), the never-built can also influence the realm of architecture despite lacking a physical presence. That is why every Sunday leading up to Halloween, YIMBY will cover a cancelled tower of increasing height, what lead to its demise, and what it might have looked like on the skyline. The model screenshots will retain previous weeks’ towers, though they will not be carried over to standard posts.
The Loop‘s newest skyscraper, 300 N Michigan Avenue, is now complete. The 47-story mixed-use tower developed by Sterling Bay and Magellan Development Group features a retail base, a 280-key citizenM hotel on the lower levels, and 289 rental apartment units dubbed “Millie on Michigan.”
Next week, tens of thousands of rubber ducks will be launched into the Chicago River during the city’s annual Duck Derby.
