Chicago wants to reclaim its title among skyscrapers

Three decades ago, Chicago's Sears Tower dominated the list of the world's tallest buildings. However, in recent years, the skyscraper craze has shifted to the Asian continent. The city where modern skyscrapers essentially originated is once again trying to reclaim the title of the tallest skyscraper for a few years, thanks to a 610-meter high design by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. The residential tower named Fordham Spire is set to rise on the lakeshore near the popular Navy Pier. Each floor of the building is rotated two degrees compared to the previous one, creating a spiral ribbing on the façade. Besides the Swedish Turning Torso, Calatrava's design is meant to resemble a column of smoke from Indian campfires. The corkscrew form is also intended to help with more efficient wind load management on the façade – strong winds are practically constant in this city.
The modern totem, costing half a billion dollars, was commissioned from Calatrava by local developer Christopher Carley. The architect utilized the lucrative land on Lakeshore Drive, where the river flows into Lake Michigan, to maximize the view for the future owners of 200 new apartments. All columns are hidden inside. The large windows of the apartments offer views of the city skyline. A single-story apartment here costs $600,000. The largest apartments, occupying an entire floor and covering up to 720 m², are priced at five million dollars. Link>