A series of cascading terraces outline the North Tower skyscraper by architecture studio SOM, which has topped out on a waterfront site in Chicago.
Rising 261 metres at the confluence of Lake Michigan and the Chicago River, the North Tower's recently-completed concrete and steel structure features a stepped silhouette cloaked in glass and topped with a 25-metre-tall crown.
Slated for completion in 2027, the North Tower is the first of two residential skyscrapers being built as part of SOM's ongoing 400 Lake Shore Drive development. Construction is yet to begin on the neighbouring South Tower.
The North Tower's glass-covered facade, which tapers towards its top, was designed by SOM as nod to traditional Chicago bay windows, complete with metal detailing that draws on the "movement of Lake Michigan".
Behind this, the tower's mechanical systems and maintenance unit have been concealed within the structural frame to establish a "clean, uninterrupted" exterior profile.
"The building's facade reinterprets the Chicago bay window for a contemporary high-rise, using a faceted glass curtain wall to bring depth, rhythm, and texture to the tower's exterior," the studio said.
"The geometry of the facade opens views from the residences while giving the building a shifting, reflective quality that responds to changing light and weather along the lakefront," it added.
Once it has been fitted out, the North Tower will contain 635 residences, including 127 affordable apartments. Meanwhile, at ground level, a plaza will provide public amenities for both residents and visitors.
"When complete, 400 Lake Shore Drive will form a new gateway to downtown Chicago from the lakefront," the studio said.
"The North and South Towers are angled in relation to one another to preserve view corridors and create a unique presence at the edge of Streeterville."
Elsewhere, the world's tallest timber tower designed by SHoP Architects and BVN Architecture has topped out in Sydney and Studio Libeskind has designed a cluster of Seoul skyscrapers as "a living work of art".
The photography is by Dave Burk courtesy of SOM.