Aqua Tower & Smurfit-Stone Building

The Aqua Tower is meant to mimic the movement of waves, blending man made structure and nature into one, nearly seamless, place of residence for those lucky enough to spend part of their day inside it. The building's core is a relatively simple design, but the balconies make the building what it is. They contain no sharp corners and transition from various depths, giving the facade it's oceanic properties, hence the name "Aqua." The Smurfit-Stone Building does not have the same intentions. It is meant to make a bold statement about the female form, not only on its own, but also in relation to the buildings that surround it. From the bottom it is a relatively average building for the downtown area of Chicago, but the top is what makes it stand out. The roof of the building is angled, to make what appears to be a slanted diamond shape out of the roof.

Both of these buildings are rather unique, but in different ways. The Aqua Tower is more modest and, to be truly appreciated, one must take a somewhat close look at the structure. The Smurfit-Stone Building is almost the opposite. It's uniqueness lies in it's basic shape and that is about it. Upon a closer look, no other major details become apparent. The Smurfit-Stone has become a Chicago icon, as one of the more distinguished elements of the city's skyline. It's diamond shape makes it instantly recognizable to both residents and tourists alike. The Aqua Tower, on the other hand, blends into Chicago's skyline. That is not to say that it is not still impressive. It's flowing exterior is refreshing in the surrounding blocks that are filled with jagged glass structures. The building is somewhat understated, but in a good way. It is not one of the recently built monstrosities that blocks the view of city goers, but rather a nice little gem of creativity to find in Chicago's bustling downtown.

One of the more interesting aspects of the two buildings are their designers and their corresponding design ideas. The Smurfit-Stone Building was designed by Sheldon Schlegman, a man, and it's shape is meant to mimic that of the vagina. The structure was built in 1984 and the designer thought that many cityscapes contained too many phallic symbols and that there should be more of a feminine presence in Chicago's skyline. The Aqua building, on the other hand, was designed by Jeanne Gang, a woman, and is not meant to be a symbol of femininity, but rather to breathe new life into a cluster of buildings that had, in some opinions, grown stale. The building finished construction in 2010. It is not meant to make a larger statement about femininity in today's culture (as the Smurfit-Stone is), it is meant to be pleasing to the eye and to give a larger presence of nature in a surrounding maze of concrete.