Chicago’s legacy as the birthplace of skyscrapers has defined the city with iconic structures like the once the world’s tallest, Sears Tower. High-rises assist to identify the downtown neighborhoods through its strong visible presence and support the dense population.
The Cermak Plaza is the monumental structure that celebrates the global connection and diversity of the different neighbor-hoods. The tower’s strong visual connection to the loop will ignite the expansion of the Chicago skyline to
the south.

The project is situated between two major south-north streets, State Street and Wabash Ave that connect the south side of Chicago to the Loop and Cermak Road, a major east-west street that connects the near south side to neighborhoods of Pilsen, Lawndale, south loop, Chinatown, and the adjoining cities of Cicero and Berwyn. Within the walking radius lie two cultural hubs, old and new Chinatown area and McCormick convention complex.
With city’s demand of increasing traffic on Cermak and the influx of new residence and visitors to McCormick Convention Center, the Cermak Plaza serves as a landmark of Cermak road. The height of the tower plays an important role in creating identity for the neighborhood that is under a high pressure of development by providing a visual existence from the Loop and the footprint of tower will not only create density that the city desires, but also provide various programs for both residents and visitors.

The vertical and sculptural form of the tower visually and physically creates a strong identity on Cermak Road. The form and the treatment of the facade is inspired by the existing green line station that ignited the need of identity in this neighborhood. The twisting form is a poetic gesture of capturing the interchange of different neighborhoods as one community and is also expressed with intersections created by the diagrid framework.