Skybridge

Identification

Map

Structure in general

Usage

Facts

• The initial version of the design called for all units to be positioned east of the main corridor, which would have resulted in a much thinner structure.
• The name Skybridge comes from the transparent gap in the middle of the building, where a glass hallway links the two sections on each level.
• Because the bridge is indented on both sides of the building, each floor has 8 corner exposures.
• The tower was positioned on the eastern third of the site along the Kennedy Expressway to take advantage of permanently open skyline views.
• The base of the building holds a Dominick's supermarket and a parking garage. The garage windows on the west side are reminiscent of futuristic architecture from the 1960's.
• The design was chosen in a competition between 3 architecture firms: Murphy/Jahn, Nagle Hartray Danker Kagan McKay, and Perkins & Will. Jahn's entry nearly won with its plan for a core surrounded by adjustable modules which could be combined sideways and vertically to form larger units.
• During the planning stage a TV station across Halsted, concerned about interference with its satellite feeds, led a movement against the development. However when the design was unveiled at a protest meeting, a majority of neighbors cheered for the building.
• A giant steel trellis with a concrete spine extends from the roof, overhanging the sundecks on the north side.
• Skybridge is the tallest building in Chicago west of Interstate 94.
• The main entrance is behind a forest of giant columns holding up the north end of the building.
• The facade is painted white and gray with splashes of red, yellow, and blue at various points of inflection.