"In an increasingly dense city like Chicago, views from a new tower must be negotiated between existing buildings. Aqua tower considers criteria such as views, solar shading and function to derive a vertical system of contours that gives the structure its sculptural form. Its vertical topography is defined by its outdoor terraces that gradually change in plan over the length of the tower. These terraces offer a strong connection to the outdoors and allow inhabitants to occupy the building faA§ade and city simultaneously. The result is a highly sculptural building when viewed obliquely that transforms into a slender rectangle from further away. Its powerful form suggests the limestone outcroppings and geologic forces that shaped the great lakes region."*

Ninjaplease! Look at this thing! So I’m not going to take credit on this, I peeped it on archidose, but I felt that you all needed to see it. More info on Aqua, in Chicago, at ChicagoReader, which has a pretty interesting article on new skyscrapers in Chi city, and at the designers page, Studio Gang. I once tried to start a gang in studio class, but there just weren’t enough ninjas around…

*quote from Studio Gang’s homepage, images from Archidose