Photo Credit: FitzGerald Associates Architects
Photo Credit: FitzGerald Associates Architects

727 West Madison

With its unique elliptical shape and dazzling exterior glass pattern, 727 West Madison is an eye-catching addition to the West Loop. The luxury rental tower stands 45 stories tall (just under 500ft) and is the tallest building west of the Kennedy Expressway. The building has 492 rental apartments and 9,500 square feet of ground-floor retail.

The tower’s proximity to the expressway required our civil engineers to overcome steep grade transitions on the east side of the site. Our team successfully incorporated these elevations at the building-level to provide uncompromised vehicular and pedestrian accessibility. The existing sidewalks around 727 West Madison were also widened and re-graded to improve pedestrian safety and ADA accessibility.

Working in concert with the design team, our engineers created a stormwater management plan that seamlessly integrated with the tower’s structure. This cast-in-place concrete detention system was a cost-efficient strategy that reduced the amount of new concrete needed on the project.

Due to the proximity of the water main to the building structure, there was not enough room to make the water service connection without conflicting with existing city infrastructure. EEA’s intimate knowledge of the city’s permitting processes proved extremely beneficial by expediting the required permits to relocate the city water main and resolve the issue without interruption to the construction schedule.

727 West Madison received the Excellence in Structural Engineering Award in the Best Project – $50 Million to $150 Million category from the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois (SEAOI).

This project also received the Multifamily Project of the Year at the 2020 Illinois Real Estate Journal Awards. In addition, 727 West Madison was selected in the Skyscrapers/High Rises category from the Chicago Athenaeum International Museum at the 2020 American Architecture Awards.

Photos courtesy of FitzGerald Associates Architects

Scope of work icon Scope of work Civil Engineering, Stormwater Manangement, Pavement Maintenance & Improvements,
Owner icon Owner Fifield Realty Corp., F & F Realty Ltd.
Architect icon Architect FitzGerald Associates Architects
Construction Manager icon Construction Manager LendLease