The RIV: Mixed-Use Skyscraper on Chicago’s Riverwalk | Masters Design Thesis

Site Context

The RIV is located in Chicago’s Loop, directly fronting the iconic Riverwalk. The site occupies a strategic position along the Chicago River, an area rich in historical significance yet marked by uneven pedestrian activity. While portions of the Riverwalk are vibrant cultural and social hubs, the site remained underutilized. This condition provided both a challenge and an opportunity: to design a building that not only rises as a landmark in the skyline but also reactivates and enriches the ground-level public realm.

The program of The RIV was shaped to reflect the diverse character of the city while addressing contemporary urban needs. The tower is conceived as a mixed-use development that integrates multiple functions into one vertical community. It includes retail and commercial spaces at the podium level, a luxury hotel, high-end residential units, penthouses, and a grand ballroom for public and private events. At its peak, an observatory invites visitors to experience expansive views of Lake Michigan and Chicago’s skyline. Together, these elements establish The RIV as a hub of activity, blending living, leisure, and culture into the riverfront context.

Design Process

The concept for The RIV was rooted in the site’s unique relationship with the Chicago River and its iconic Riverwalk. From the beginning, the goal was to design a tower that would not stand as a separate object but instead extend the Riverwalk vertically, reactivating a quieter portion of the riverfront and creating continuity between the river, the city, and the sky. The abstract geometry of the river and the bridges became the primary source of inspiration. We observed their angular forms, chamfers, and dynamic lines, translating these patterns into a bold architectural language.

Form development began with simple massing explorations that responded to the site’s orientation, surrounding skyline, and program distribution. These studies gradually evolved into a tower defined by sharp chamfered edges, a geometry that was both aesthetic and functional—helping to reduce wind loads in Chicago’s challenging climate. At the base, the form opens into a soaring public atrium that connects seamlessly with the Riverwalk and plaza level, while the top softens into a subtle curve, contrasting the bold chamfers and emphasizing their strength. Through this process, The RIV emerged as a vertical continuation of the Riverwalk, embodying the flow and vitality of the river in architectural form.

Final Outcome

The final outcome of The RIV is a skyscraper that balances bold architectural expression with sensitivity to its urban context. The tower’s sharp chamfered geometry imparts a distinctive, aggressive presence, yet the careful selection of glass color and materiality ensures it blends harmoniously with Chicago’s elegant skyline. Its form stands out without clashing, complementing the city’s historic and modern architectural fabric.

At the ground level, the tower opens into a public atrium and stepped landscape that merges seamlessly with the Riverwalk, transforming the site into an active civic space. The vertical gardens, bridges, and public plazas infuse energy into a previously quiet stretch of the riverfront, ensuring that the tower contributes to the life of the city both inside and out.

Crowning the structure, the observatory offers panoramic views of Lake Michigan and Chicago, turning the very top of the building into a shared public experience. 

Conclusion: Ultimately, The RIV achieves a dual identity: as a striking landmark defined by bold geometry and as a welcoming extension of the Riverwalk, designed to connect people, place, and the dynamic spirit of Chicago.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]