Goettsch Partners (GP) recently completed 320 South Canal, billed as “Chicago’s healthiest office tower,” according to the architecture firm. Located across the street from Chicago Union Station and close to major expressways, the 51-story tower totals 1,740,000 sf. It includes a conference center, fitness center, restaurant, to-go market, branch bank, and a cocktail lounge in an adjacent structure, as well as parking for 324 cars/electric vehicles and 114 bicycles.
The 2.2-acre site also features The Green at 320, one of the largest privately owned public parks in Chicago.
The project was developed by Riverside Investment & Development with Convexity Properties and built by Clark Construction. The same team also delivered the city’s Bank of America Tower in 2020 and 150 North Riverside office building in 2017. All three 50-story towers are certified or pre-certified LEED Gold, WELL Platinum, and WiredScore Platinum. Together, they total nearly five million sf.
Design strategies at 320 South Canal emphasized improving occupant wellbeing. The tower incorporates innovative technology to maximize occupant health, mitigate risk related to harmful environmental factors, and enhance tenant operational efficiency.
High-rise office features advanced air monitoring, filtration
Features include advanced air monitoring and air filtration systems, bipolar air ionization, fresh air delivery that is six times the national code standard, a tenant engagement app that provides a real-time display of air quality metrics, antimicrobial fixtures, and touchless technology throughout. Occupants also have access to outdoor terraces for fresh air as well as the outdoor spaces and activities provided by The Green.
Designed as a stepped, three-tiered building, 320 South Canal is oriented north-south along the east side of the site. The east face of the building aligns with the property line, reinforcing the urban street wall defined by the historic Union Station headhouse on the adjacent block.
Three setbacks reflect the internal organization of the building, with efficient, column-free floor plates that cater to a variety of tenants. Large terraces at each setback offer outdoor amenity spaces with expansive views of downtown. The building’s subtly folded façade creates a changing texture that reinforces the verticality of the building. At street level, east and west façades express V-shaped structural transfers that open up the ground floor. The resulting effect makes the park an integral part of the building, and the building serves as an extension of the park.
Early in the planning process, decision-makers chose to make the tower taller with a smaller footprint, allowing most of the site to be dedicated as a park. The 1.5-acre park space is organized around a 10,000 sf oval-shaped lawn. A curved path defines the main pedestrian circulation from the northeast to southwest corners of the site, promoting connections between the station and the evolving West Loop.
In addition to the central lawn, the park includes a variety of smaller spaces that allow for a variety of outdoor activities, both programmed and spontaneous, as well as pop-up retail space at the north side—all set against the backdrop of the iconic Union Station headhouse.
On the project team:
Owner and/or developer: Riverside Investment & Development and Convexity Properties
Design architect: Goettsch Partners
Architect of record: Goettsch Partners
MEP consultant: Environmental Systems Design (ESD)
Structural engineer: Magnusson Klemencic Associates
General contractor/construction manager: Clark Construction
Related Stories
Office Buildings | Jul 12, 2022
Miami office tower nears completion, topping off at 55 stories
In Miami, construction of OKO Group and Cain International’s 830 Brickell office tower is nearing completion.
AEC Business Innovation | Jun 15, 2022
Cognitive health takes center stage in the AEC industry
Two prominent architecture firms are looking to build on the industry’s knowledge base on design’s impact on building occupant health and performance with new research efforts.
Sustainable Design and Construction | Jun 14, 2022
For its new office, a farm in California considers four sustainable design options, driven by data
The architect used cove.tool’s performance measurement software to make its case.
Office Buildings | Jun 13, 2022
San Antonio’s electric utility HQ to transform into a modern office building
In San Antonio, Tex., the former headquarters of CPS Energy, the city’s electric utility, is slated to transform into 100,000 square feet of office and retail space on San Antonio’s famed River Walk.
Office Buildings | Jun 8, 2022
Former L.A. Times newsroom/printing plant remade into office campus
Phase 1 of The Press, an adaptive reuse project that is converting an old Los Angeles Times facility into a modern office campus, was recently completed in Costa Mesa, Calif.
Office Buildings | May 19, 2022
JLL releases its 2022 Office Fit Out Guide
JLL’s 2022 Office Fit Out Guide report provides benchmark costs to build out a range of office types across major markets in the United States and Canada.
Headquarters | May 10, 2022
JPMorgan Chase’s new all-electric headquarters to have net-zero operational emissions
JPMorgan Chase’s recently unveiled plans for its new global headquarters building in New York City that is rife with impressive sustainability credentials.
Building Team | May 6, 2022
Atlanta’s largest adaptive reuse project features cross laminated timber
Global real estate investment and management firm Jamestown recently started construction on more than 700,000 sf of new live, work, and shop space at Ponce City Market.
Office Buildings | Apr 28, 2022
A 48-story office tower to rise over boomtown Austin
In downtown Austin, Texas, a planned 48-story office tower, The Republic, recently secured its first major tenant—allowing for the groundbreaking by midyear.
Mixed-Use | Apr 22, 2022
San Francisco replaces a waterfront parking lot with a new neighborhood
A parking lot on San Francisco’s waterfront is transforming into Mission Rock—a new neighborhood featuring rental units, offices, parks, open spaces, retail, and parking.
