A New Vista

There are so many ways to pay homage to the new condo/hotel/luxury rental The Vista that I find myself a little at a loss for where to start. However, it's always easiest to start with tall. The undulating structure is destined to be the 3rd tallest building in our fair city, reaching 1,191 ft. and 93 floors; it stands head and a few shoulders above the rest. It is also the tallest building built in Chicago since the 2007 recession. And it will be the tallest building designed by a woman, Jeanne Gang of Aqua Fame (an architect who is fast making history with her innovative building designs). These are the expected but important claims one needs to share. The buildings height has been evident even early on in the construction phase as it stands out boldly against the skyline.

Then there's topic of it having been the largest Chinese investment in Chicago. The Dalian Wanda Group, the Chinese investor backing the ultraluxury condo and hotel project, sold its majority stake in the project when the Chinese government got cold feet about investing abroad. They sold to Alberta-based Triple Five Group.

But perhaps the most personal and notable approach to this post is my own experience with the property. We market these properties all the time as an agency, but this time I had the rare opportunity to ascend the still unfinished tower and rub shoulders with the ironworkers and carpenters assembling this architectural edifice. I climbed ladders, leaned over edges and looked out over huge expanses of air and water. In essences, I saw the inner workings of a massive tower being assembled, cement slab by cement slab and really felt it's specialness.

This post is mostly a visual sharing rather than intellectual discourse. At 1000 ft up, I felt a euphoria and sense of flight. I had completely new inspirations and perspectives on our city and on the nature of the buildings we brand. Enjoy the view.