(Above) Curtain wall is installed on a lower floor of 400 Lake Shore on April 11. Photo provided by Related Midwest. (Click on images to view larger versions.)

By Steven Dahlman

May 1, 2025 – With the 78-foot-deep cofferdam of the failed Spire project filled in, and a new floor of concrete being poured every three days, Related Midwest says its 72-story 400 Lake Shore is “quickly rising.”

The concrete superstructure has been poured for 22 of those 72 floors, and installation has started on the 362,000-square-foot glass curtain wall that will cover the residential tower under construction along the Chicago River near Lake Shore Drive.

The curtain wall was built by New Hudson Facades, which has offices in Illinois and four other states. They built the curtain wall for 110 North Wacker and 320 South Canal in Chicago, and Related Midwest’s Hudson Yards development in New York.

Related Midwest says the curtain wall at 400 Lake Shore will be “bird-friendly.” And resident-friendly, with vents on the bay window units, giving residents direct access to fresh air. The windows will also have a special coating that makes the building less reflective and, says Related Midwest, “capture the natural hues of the sky and water, boosting energy efficiency and connecting the building to its surroundings.” (Left) 400 Lake Shore under construction, from across the Chicago River, on April 8. Tower crane in front. 474 Lake Shore Drive behind crane. Photo by Steven Dahlman.

Designed by the Chicago office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, 400 Lake Shore construction officially started in January 2024. The taller north tower is being built first, with its concrete superstructure expected to be completed by October 2025 and the tower entirely finished in 2027 with 635 residential units.

Work on the south tower will begin after the north tower is completed, along with DuSable Park, a 3.3-acre public park on the east side of Lake Shore Drive.

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