Walk down Wacker Drive and you'll see it. It’s hard to miss. The Bank of America Tower Chicago, also known by its official address at 110 North Wacker, is basically a giant glass exclamation point sitting right on the river. Honestly, if you haven't been by there lately, the way the light hits that jagged, sawtooth facade in the afternoon is kind of incredible. It isn't just another office box. It represents a massive shift in how Chicago thinks about its riverfront and how big companies actually want to work these days.
Most people see a 55-story skyscraper and think "big bank." Sure. But there is a lot more going on under the hood here than just desks and conference rooms.
We’re talking about a project that had to navigate some seriously tight constraints. The site is narrow. Like, surprisingly narrow for a building that tall. The architects at Goettsch Partners and the developers at Howard Hughes Corporation had to figure out how to squeeze a Class A trophy tower onto a sliver of land while still making it feel massive and airy inside. They pulled it off.
The Engineering Magic of the Sawtooth Facade
Let’s get into the weeds for a second because the design isn't just for show. That "sawtooth" look on the west side? That’s not just a fancy aesthetic choice to make the building look like it has scales. It’s functional. By angling the glass, they managed to give almost every single tenant a view of the river.
Usually, in a standard rectangular building, if you're stuck in the middle of the floor plate, you're looking at a wall or a neighbor’s window. Not here. The 110 North Wacker design basically hacks the perspective so that even if you aren't in a corner office, you feel like you are. It’s clever. It's also why the building looks like it’s shimmering when you drive past it on the Kennedy Expressway.
The tower stands roughly 817 feet tall. It’s big. But it’s also remarkably "thin" in terms of its footprint. To make this work, the engineering team had to use a high-performance concrete core and a steel perimeter frame. This allows for column-free corners. If you’re a tenant paying top-dollar rent, you don't want a giant concrete pillar blocking your view of the Merchandise Mart across the water. You want glass. Lots of it.
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Why Bank of America Moved In
You might wonder why a massive institution like Bank of America would ditch its historic spots for a brand-new glass tower. It’s about the "flight to quality." That’s a buzzword real estate folks love, but it basically means that in a world where remote work is a thing, offices have to be actually nice for people to show up.
Bank of America took about 500,000 square feet here. They consolidated several of their downtown offices into this one hub. Why? Because the amenities are nuts. We are talking about a massive fitness center, a high-end food hall, and a rooftop terrace that makes most hotel bars look sad.
- The Lobby: It's 45 feet tall. It feels like a cathedral made of glass and stone.
- The Riverwalk: This is the best part for the public. The building is actually "stepped back" at the base. This created a covered walkway that connects to the Chicago Riverwalk.
- The Travertine: They used silver travertine from Italy for the core walls. It’s gorgeous. It gives the place a texture that feels expensive but not gaudy.
When you're a firm like Jones Day or Morgan Lewis—who also grabbed space here—you aren't just buying office space. You're buying a recruitment tool. It's much easier to convince a high-powered attorney to come into work when the office looks like a movie set.
The Impact on the Chicago Riverwalk
For a long time, the stretch of the river between Washington and Randolph was... well, it was kind of a dead zone. It was just a sidewalk next to a loud street. The Bank of America Tower Chicago changed that dynamic entirely.
By integrating a 45-foot-wide public promenade under the building's overhang, the developers basically gave a gift back to the city. It’s a bit of a "trick" of urban planning. The building occupies the air rights, but the ground level stays open and breathable.
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It’s a stark contrast to the old General Growth Building that used to sit on this site. That old building was a low-slung, squat thing that blocked the river off from the street. Now, there is a flow. You can walk from the street level down into this grand, sheltered space. It feels private and public at the same time. On a windy Chicago day, that overhang is a godsend.
Sustainability and the "Green" Factor
We can't talk about modern skyscrapers without mentioning LEED. The tower is LEED Gold certified. But what does that actually mean for the people inside?
It means the air is filtered better. It means the glass is incredibly efficient at keeping heat out in the summer and holding it in during those brutal January polar vortexes. The building uses advanced building automation systems to tweak the lighting and temperature based on who is actually in the room.
It’s weird to think about a building "thinking," but this one sort of does. If a floor is empty on a Friday afternoon, the systems scale back. It saves a fortune in energy costs, which is a big deal when you're managing hundreds of thousands of square feet.
Is It Worth the Hype?
Look, Chicago has a lot of towers. We invented the skyscraper, after all. So for a new one to really make a mark, it has to do something special.
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The Bank of America Tower doesn't try to be the tallest. It doesn't have a crazy spire or a gimmicky observation deck with a glass floor. Instead, it focuses on being the most refined version of a modern office. It’s a "tech" building in a "finance" suit.
One thing people get wrong is thinking this is just a private fortress. It’s not. The food hall on the second floor is a great spot to grab a bite even if you don't work there. The way the building interacts with the river makes it a part of the city's fabric, not just an island of wealth.
What This Means for Future Development
The success of 110 North Wacker basically set the blueprint for other projects like the Salesforce Tower at Wolf Point. It proved that if you build high-enough quality, the tenants will come, even when the rest of the office market is struggling.
It’s about the "experience." People don't want to work in cubicles under buzzing fluorescent lights anymore. They want natural light. They want to be able to walk outside and be by the water in thirty seconds. This tower provides that in spades.
Actionable Insights for Visiting or Leasing
If you're headed to the Bank of America Tower Chicago, keep these things in mind to make the most of the experience:
- Public Access: Don't just look at it from the street. Walk through the base on the river side. The architectural scale is much more impressive when you're standing right under the massive support columns.
- Commuting: If you're looking at space here or visiting a client, it’s a dream location. It’s a five-minute walk from both Ogilvie and Union Station. That is a huge selling point for suburban commuters.
- The View Factor: If you're a business owner considering a move, pay attention to the floor plates. Because of the sawtooth design, you can fit more "perimeter" offices into the same square footage than you can in a flat-walled building. It’s a more efficient way to give your top people the views they want.
- Photography: For the best photos, get across the river to the West Loop side near the Boeing building (now the 100 North Riverside building). From there, you get the full profile of the tower reflecting in the water.
This building is a testament to the idea that Chicago's business district isn't dying—it's just evolving. It's moving toward the water, getting greener, and becoming a lot more interesting to look at. Whether you're an architecture geek or just someone looking for a cool place to eat lunch by the river, the Bank of America Tower is a landmark that actually earns its spot on the skyline.