Water Tower Place

Identification

Map

Structure in general

Usage

Facts

• The podium contains a shopping mall anchored by Macy's and American Girl Place. The tower houses a Ritz Carlton Hotel, offices, and condominiums.
• The shopping mall is centered around an eight story terraced atrium with the most famous elevators in Chicago, housed in three bundled hexagonal glass tubes.
• The shopping center was the first of three large indoor malls built near the Water Tower. The others are at 900 North Michigan and Chicago Place.
• In 2002 the entrance was renovated and show windows were inserted into the facade above the arcade.
• The 12-story Pearson Hotel was demolished to make way for Water Tower Place. It stood at the southeast corner of the site.
• World's tallest reinforced concrete building from 1975 to 1990; surpassed by 311 South Wacker, also in Chicago.
• Construction was unexpectedly delayed several weeks when foundation workers discovered an underground stream on the site. The water was plugged by building a giant concrete dome under the building.
• Part of the site was bought from the John Hancock Center, with an easement restricting the tower to the southeast corner of the lot to preserve the Hancock's views.
• When the mall was built it had enough shopping space to contain all existing stores on Michigan Avenue from the river to Oak Street.
• The main entrance to the mall is a two-story set of escalators, with a waterfall between them and winding staircases at the sides.
• Named after the Chicago Water Tower across Michigan Avenue to the southwest.