Her creator, Jeanne Gang, defines the Chicago skyline with this building that will become the third largest in the city, an example of sustainability.

Could you say how many of the buildings around you have been designed by a woman? It’s not that difficult, you just have to think that the chances of it will decrease with age. In this way, the more years a building has, the less likely it is that it has been created by a female hand, although, unfortunately, this does not imply that the current percentage is equal, au contrarie, most architectural studies have a male name and Buildings designed by women remain a minority.

Sad? Of course, but the optimism generated on March 8 has to make us see the situation with different eyes: the female contribution to architecture is increasingly important, and not stop. Great architects of the modern era have to do withthis, such as the late Zaha Hadid, whose designs dazzle a large part of the world; Julia Morgan, the world’s first titled architect (in 1902); or the Japanese Kazuyo Sejima, creator of the Toledo Museum of Art and the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York.

The building is being built in Chicago

Another woman who could be an icon of equality in construction can be found in Chicago, her name is Jeanne Gang and she owns the architectural studio that bears her last name, one that has designed the last two tallest skyscrapers in the world with a woman’s signature: the fantastic Aqua Tower and the zigzagging Vista Tower, which we are going to illustrate today. The latter began to be built in 2016 and will reach the portentous height of 363 meters, which will make it the third highest in Chicago and the seventh in the United States.

It is located very close to the mouth of the Chicago River, which allows it to define the new edge of the city in one of its most important urban areas, the so-called Lakeshore East. The skyscraper will have residential, hotel and office use, will be connected to the promenade and a nearby park. Its silhouette is trimmed in three different heights, at 46, at 70 and at 93 floors, generating three bodies that move rhythmically inside and outside, like an accordion.

The complex, whose structure is made of reinforced concrete, will generate space for 406 luxury apartments and a five-star hotel with 192 rooms, whose promoters are the local firm Magellan Development Group and the Chinese company Wanda Group, although there are rumors that the latter It is considering selling its participation percentage, they have not yet done so. The ambitious skyscraper is expected to open its doors in 2020.

Bkl Architecture is the other architecture studio involved in the design and construction process of the tower, in which the apartments have been valued between one and 18 million dollars (between 0.8 and 15 euros), located at 93 floors of the building, although, as is obvious, prices may vary depending on market demand in the year of completion of work.

Aware of the importance of a good sale, the promoters have created a sales center, where future buyers will be able to feel the final finishes and the accessories that the homes will have. You can also enjoy the final views through an impressive array of 52 flat screens, the latest technology as a sales tool. The center star, however, is the model that presides over one of the rooms, where you can play and enjoy the powerful building in three dimensions.

The hotel will occupy the first twelve floors of Vista Tower, the others, from 13 (or twelve plus one for the superstitious) to 93, will belong to residents, or owners, since none of the apartments will be rented. The homes will have between one and four bedrooms, and the most luxurious (and desirable) will be located between floors 71 and 91, the so-called Sky Residences, full floor, with a higher floor-to-ceiling height.

The icing on the cake, of course, will be on the cusp, a solo duplex that will occupy the last two floors, obviously, it will be the one with the highest price, for now, 18 million dollars. On the 47th floor, you will find the Club Vista, a place of community entertainment for residents, where you can enjoy a gym, swimming pool, projection room, gourmet kitchen, private dining room and a wine cellar with tasting room (usual, let’s go) .

Bright and spacious rooms

The construction company is called McHugh Construction, and they are experts in unique buildings, they will be responsible for the 83rd floor of the main tower being completely free of divisions, this will generate an area where the wind does not beat against the building, relieving it of the this push, what is called «aerator». The skyscraper is the most important real estate investment in Chicago and the entire United States (according to its developers), and, obviously, has generated great expectation.

In total, the constructed area will reach 167,000 square meters, which is estimated to cost about 900 million dollars (732 euros), that is, about 5,400 dollars per square meter (4,380 euros). Gang expects the complex to reach the Leed Silver certification, she explains that the design is based on the shape of the precious stones, pivoting on an axis and allowing visualization of the city and the water of the river.

Construction has been, and is, one of the sectors where there is more gender inequality in terms of the proportion of labor. Until now, the excuse was the physical force that should be exerted in the work, which does not explain why it also happens between the graduates of engineering and architecture. But this can no longer be an excuse, more and more women must occupy positions in the sector, not only on the cusp, like Jeanne Gang, also at the base and intermediate steps, much remains to be done.