CTBUH Silver Member
bKL Architecture
About
At bKL Architecture, they are committed to designing projects that only enhance the contexts in which we build, responding to the needs of clients, users and surrounding communities, while anticipating future uses and desires.
Founded by Thomas Kerwin in 2010 with the support of James Loewenberg, bKL is a team of passionate designers and practitioners with expertise in a variety of markets and project types. They design sophisticated, inspiring spaces and structures that are timeless yet forward-thinking.
bKL Architecture’s open studio environment encourages a spirited exchange of ideas. Their culturally diverse team brings together a broad range of skills, experiences and backgrounds to create a vibrant atmosphere and design process. At the center of their process is a focus on in-depth analysis, intensive experimentation and collaboration.
Fields of Expertise
Architecture; Interior Design; Urban Design
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Membership details
Membership Level
Silver
Member Since
2012
Member Offices
Chicago
Buildings
Rank |
Name |
Status
Completed Architecturally Topped Out Structurally Topped Out Under Construction On Hold Proposed Vision Never Completed Demolished Competition Entry Canceled Proposed Renovation Under Renovation Renovated Under Demolition |
Completion |
Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
2020 |
362.9 m / 1,191 ft |
||
|
2 |
2021 |
171.4 m / 562 ft |
||
|
3 |
2019 |
170.6 m / 560 ft |
||
|
4 |
2022 |
157.6 m / 517 ft |
||
|
5 |
2016 |
147.8 m / 485 ft |
||
|
6 |
2013 |
142.2 m / 467 ft |
||
|
7 |
2016 |
135.5 m / 444 ft |
||
|
8 |
2020 |
127.1 m / 417 ft |
||
|
9 |
2021 |
122.9 m / 403 ft |
||
|
10 |
2017 |
108.8 m / 357 ft |
Building Completions Timeline
Global News
14 January 2021
Developer Scales Back Chicago Lakeshore High-Rise Plans
The developer of a big high-rise proposed just north of Millennium Park has scaled back its plans, slashing the number of hotel rooms in the...
Global News
10 December 2020
Residential Tower Tops Out at 122.9 Meters in Chicago
Construction on Cascade has topped out 396 feet (120 meters) over Lakeshore East. Officially addressed at 455 E Waterside Drive, Cascade is part of the...
Global News
25 November 2020
Chicago’s Third Tallest Building Gets A New Name
The soaring Vista Tower, the newest addition to Chicago’s famed skyline, now has a new name: St. Regis Chicago. The skyscraper also has a new...
Rank |
Name |
City |
Completion |
Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
- |
642 m / 2,106 ft |
||
|
2 |
- |
608 m / 1,995 ft |
||
|
3 |
2020 |
363 m / 1,191 ft |
||
|
4 |
2023 |
290 m / 950 ft |
||
|
5 |
- |
212 m / 696 ft |
||
|
6 |
- |
196 m / 642 ft |
||
|
7 |
2021 |
171 m / 562 ft |
||
|
8 |
2019 |
171 m / 560 ft |
||
|
9 |
2022 |
158 m / 517 ft |
||
|
10 |
- |
154 m / 504 ft |
||
|
11 |
2016 |
148 m / 485 ft |
||
|
12 |
2013 |
142 m / 467 ft |
||
|
13 |
2016 |
136 m / 444 ft |
||
|
14 |
2020 |
127 m / 417 ft |
||
|
15 |
2021 |
123 m / 403 ft |
||
|
16 |
2017 |
109 m / 357 ft |
||
|
17 |
2021 |
109 m / 357 ft |
||
|
18 |
2019 |
67 m / 221 ft |
||
|
19 |
2020 |
59 m / 193 ft |
||
|
20 |
2020 |
57 m / 186 ft |
||
|
21 |
2014 |
47 m / 156 ft |
||
|
22 |
2020 |
- m / - ft |
||
|
23 |
2024 |
- m / - ft |
Statistics
150 m+ Buildings
300 m+ Buildings
Average Building Age*
3 Years
Most Common Function*
Residential (75%), 12 Buildings
Most Common Material*
Concrete (100%), 16 Buildings
* Based on 150 m+ buildings currently in the database.
*Based on 16 Completed & Under Construction Buildings
Building Completions Timeline
Building Map
Construction Time Chart
NOTE: Construction start time is not available for all buildings. The average construction time is only displayed if there is three or more buildings with construction start and complete data in that year.
Create your own charts using the Explore Data tool.
Global News
25 November 2020
Chicago’s Third Tallest Building Gets A New Name
The soaring Vista Tower, the newest addition to Chicago’s famed skyline, now has a new name: St. Regis Chicago. The skyscraper also has a new...
20 October 2020
James Loewenberg, Developer of Chicago High-Rises, Dies at 86
James Loewenberg, a Chicago architect-turned-developer with a portfolio that includes the Aqua and Vista Tower skyscrapers in downtown Chicago, has died at age 86 after...
31 July 2020
Chicago Developer to Buy Out Supertall Building's Partner for US$270 million
The Chicago developer building the 101-story Vista Tower on the Chicago River has agreed to buy out its majority Chinese partner for US$270 million, ending...
27 March 2020
Under-Construction Skyscrapers in Chicago Secure Financing
Lendlease and Magellan Development have landed US$283 million in construction financing for their two residential towers rising in Chicago’s Lakeshore East. The projects will have...
13 August 2019
Glass-Clad Mixed-Use Tower to Replace Old Brick Building in Chicago
Just weeks after securing a zoning change from city officials, developer Sterling Bay is moving forward with its plans to demolish an older building on...
23 July 2019
A Condo Tower Will Break Ground in Chicago in September
A 47-story condo tower known as Cirrus readies to break ground in Chicago. Located steps from Lake Michigan, Navy Pier, Maggie Daley Park, and the...
23 July 2019
A Condo Tower Will Break Ground in Chicago in September
A 47-story condo tower known as Cirrus readies to break ground in Chicago. Located steps from Lake Michigan, Navy Pier, Maggie Daley Park, and the...
10 July 2019
Shenzhen to See New 212-Meter-Tall Headquarters
bKL Architecture has unveiled their winning design for the new UBTECH Headquarters located in Shenzhen, China. The 71,360-square-meter tower includes office, dormitory, retail, and research...
30 April 2019
Two Towers Progress onto Chicago’s Iconic Skyline
Vista Tower reached its final height on April 26 2019, when construction workers poured concrete to form the Chicago skyscraper’s 101st and final floor. That...
29 January 2019
Updated Design Revealed for 642-Meter Tower in Shenzhen
bKL Architecture has unveiled its proposed design for a new, 642-meter tower located in Shenzhen, China. The 128-story tower is intended to mark the...
CTBUH Initiatives Involving bKL Architecture
Chicago Future Leaders to Tour Vista Tower (Sold Out)
08 August 2019
The CTBUH Chicago Future Leaders Committee will lead a tour of Vista Tower, which upon completion will be the tallest Chicago building designed by a woman.
CTBUH Staff Reaches New Heights at Chicago's Vista Tower
14 December 2018
To bring a successful year to a close, CTBUH staff enjoyed an extensive tour of the under-construction Vista Tower, a residential and hotel development in Chicago's Lakeshore East.
CTBUH Staff Taste Riverfront Lifestyle at Chicago’s Wolf Point
08 December 2017
As a treat for a long year of hard work, CTBUH staff members took a top-to-bottom tour of Wolf Point West, a luxury apartment tower that sits on the Chicago River.
Wolf Point West Tower Tour
27 August 2015
CTBUH Chicago hosted a tour of Wolf Point West Tower, a new building currently under construction along the Chicago River.
YPC Holds Student Workshop on Coast at Lakeshore East
20 March 2013
The Young Professionals Committee hosted its first student workshop at the University of Illinois at Chicago on the Coast at Lakeshore East.
Climbing the Coast: Tour Report of New Chicago Skyscraper
24 July 2012
With only two floors left before topping out, the CTBUH Young Professionals Committee organized a tour last week of the Coast at Lakeshore East.
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