The Aqua Building

 Approaching the Aqua building located at 225 N. Columbus Drive, it is hard not to notice. It stands out from boring, brown brick buildings such as the Columbus Plaza and The Fairmont located across the street. Aqua is sleek and interesting with  uneven, wave-like balconies that are ironic to it's name. The design was inspired by the Great Lakes and pays homage to our own Lake Michigan. If it wasn't for it's inspiration, it would be easy to classify Aqua with other skyscrapers such as Trump Towers, which some consider to be what's becoming wrong with modern day Chicago architecture.

 If one were to walk around the corner and go north on Michigan Avenue, you would see such buildings as the Wrigley Building or where WGN Radio is located. Such structures are "old school" and their looks are classical. If you continue going north, you'll come across the Michigan Avenue Pumping Station that survived the Great Chicago Fire. This is the architecture that represents Chicago. Is it possible to compare Aqua to such buildings? Not quite. But Aqua is able to hold it's own. Such buildings are sacred to Chicago because of their history and where Aqua may be lacking in such, it is made up for with it's details. It is the tallest skyscraper to be designed by a woman, Jeanne Gang. It was given the Emporis Skyscraper Award 2009 skyscraper of the year. The building contains 55,000 square feet of office space, 215 hotel rooms, 476 rental units, and 263 condos as well as Penthouses.  Aqua was built with a rainwater collection system and a green roof that is the largest in Chicago. More on the luxurious side, there are accommodations such as a fitness area, hot tub, pool, and garden area. Aqua may not have a classical look, but it will certainly help add to the positive reputation of this city.

 Without knowing the story behind such a building, it is easy to pass of the Aqua as just another condo building that only the wealthy can afford. It isn't hard for it to stand out with the new-wave design in contrast to the dated buildings of it's surroundings. Does Aqua stand out for it's sleek design, or as a sore thumb? That is in the eye of it's viewers. You can love this building, you can hate it, or you can walk right by it without taking notice to it. The Aqua building has potential to become a popular structure within the city, but because of it's lack of solidarity, it doesn't have the potential to become a building that is associated with Chicago such as the John Hancock or the Sears Tower.