In a unique building application, 150 North Riverside Plaza occupies only 25 percent of its two-acre site in Chicago, Illinois. Placed between a park and the Chicago River, the 53 story superstructure features 1.2 million square feet of office space in Chicago’s Confluence District, with a sloping, diagonal base and a bold, towering façade. With the Windy City’s harsh gusts and potential for drenching storms in mind, Goettsch Partners and Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA) incorporated CS’ architectural louvres and vision barrier screens to protect the unique skyscraper from Chicago’s weather for decades to come.

Despite the land’s constrictive features, developers knew that their new acquisition along the Chicago River was going to yield an architectural game changer. The structure needed to be designed to protect itself and its interiors from the harsh Chicago climate, especially the wind and rain that often blast buildings along the river. A long-lasting, durable product on the façade was going to make or break the building. It was imperative that 150 North Riverside be outfitted with products that would withstand harsh conditions and regulate incoming airflow.