The Chicago Spire is a partially constructed supertall skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois. Its construction was put on hold in 2008 due to economic reasons. The building was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and is being developed by Garrett Kelleher of Shelbourne Development Group, Inc. If completed, at 2000 feet (609.6 m) and with 150 floors, it will be among the world’s tallest buildings and freestanding structures.
Originally announced in July 2005 by Christopher T. Carley of the Fordham Company, the project was supported by many Chicagoans and city officials. After several months of development, Carley failed to acquire necessary financing and the project was taken over by Garrett Kelleher of the Shelbourne Development Group. Since that time, three major revisions were made to the design. Construction of the Chicago Spire has been slowed by the developer and will not resume normal activity until the markets improve from the subprime mortgage crisis. On October 8, 2008, Santiago Calatrava filed a lien on the project stating that the developer has yet to pay him the $11.34 million owed for his work. The lien reflects a contractual dispute, and the project may be temporarily halted.
Design
An early design of the building.
As with many of his designs, Calatrava has been inspired by themes and designs in nature for the tall, twisting skyscraper. For the design of the building, he likened the structure to an imaginary smoke spiral coming from a campfire near the Chicago River lit by Native Americans indigenous to the area, and also related the building’s newly designed pinnacle to the “graceful” and “rotating forms” of a snail shell.
Standing at 2,000 feet (609.6 m), the Chicago Spire will further transform the always-changing Chicago skyline. Plans for the tower include 1,193 condominiums with each of the building’s 150 stories rotating 2.4 degrees from the one below for a total 360 degree rotation. In February 2008, prices for the condominiums were announced as ranging from $750,000 to $40 million USD. For supplemental structural support, each floor would be surrounded by cantilevered corners and four concave sides. Similar to the Sears Tower and John Hancock Center skydecks, the Chicago Spire will house a community room at the top floor offering residents a view of four states. The soaring four story lobby of the skyscraper will have translucent glass walls and be framed by arching, steel reinforced concrete vaults. The building has been labeled as a giant “drill bit” by the public and others in the media have likened it to a “tall twisting tree” and a “blade of grass”.
The curved design, similar to that of Calatrava’s Turning Torso in Malmö, Sweden, may provide two major benefits to the structure of the building. First, curved designs have a tendency of adding to the strength of a structure. A similar principle has been applied in the past when building curved stadium roofs. In addition to structural support, the curved face of the exterior will minimize wind forces. In rectangular buildings, a fluid wind flow puts pressure on the windward face of the building, while as air moves around it, a suction is applied to the leeward face. This often causes a sway in tall buildings which can be counteracted, at least partially, by stiffening the structure or by using a dynamic wind damper. Although the curved design of the Chicago Spire will not completely negate wind forces, a tapering concrete core and twelve shear walls emanating from it are installed to counteract these forces instead.
Additionally, the Chicago Spire will incorporate world-class sustainable engineering practices to meet Gold standard of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. Sustainable features include recycled rainwater, river water used for cooling, ornithologically-sensitive glass to protect migratory birds, intelligent building and management systems, waste storage and recycling management, and monitored outdoor air delivery.
Construction
Following the city approval, it was announced that construction of the Chicago Spire was to begin in summer 2007 with caisson scheduled to begin as early as June 2007. DuSable Park was designated as a staging area for the construction of the tower. The sales center for the Chicago Spire opened on January 14, 2008.
On September 19, 2008, a spokeswoman for the developer announced that construction was continuing on the building, but that the pace of construction will be slowed until the financial markets improve from the subprime mortgage crisis. Kelleher has promised that he still has financial backing, although analysts have questioned the ability of the project to survive the current economic decline. A contractor to build the building’s superstructure has not yet been named. The October 1, 2008 edition of The Wall Street Journal said that the building foundation was complete and the above ground construction would not continue until the markets recover.
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