Water Tower Place- A Shopper’s Paradise

Water Tower Place is a big urban palatial skyscraper in the Chicago, Illinois.The tower houses a grand shopping mall of nearly 760,000 square feet area.  The 74 story tower has acquired its name from the famous Chicago Water Tower nearby. It is strategically located on Michigan Avenue. The skyscraper building was constructed in the year 1975. It was designed by ‘Urban Retail Properties’ company. This prestigious development also received a prize from Urban Institute way back in 1986. Water Tower Place has a height of 262 meters, is the 8th tallest tower in Chicago, and stands 26th tallest in the U.S, making it one of the tallest buildings in the United States. Reinforced construction has been used with concrete and marble to build this wonderful building. The very famous Ritz-Carlton hotel is housed in the Water Tower Place. Apart from the hotel it features many luxurious apartments and official rooms. There is a retail joint at the top that overlooks the Magnificent Mile.

The tower has a great hand at changing the economic scenario of the city. Simple stores catering to middle class needs made their way into high class section of the society giving a boost to the retail growth in Chicago. Even after 30 years the tower is a proud owner of many retail shops and hotels. The building is in full occupancy all throughout the year, drawing large business crowds from different parts of the world. Due to lack of space inside the mall, many retailers have shops and work just outside the tower

In 2001 Major renovations took place within the tower. More retail room space was added enclosing the outer areas, on the side of Michigan Avenue. Many facets of the tower were refurnished to add style and elegance to it. Many display arenas were created for the department stores with elegant glass walls constructed for the exterior walls. Waterfalls were created in the lobby with a fountain effect, all controlled by the latest computer techniques. All these extra efforts paid off and novel marbled architecture was given a literal facelift adding zest and color to the tower. The Water Tower Place’s most influential and popular all time resident is the host of the famous’ The Oprah Winfrey Show’, Oprah Winfrey. Having purchased a 6 million dollar house in the year 2006 she was at one time contemplating selling it for a huge profit.

Due to the tower’s ease of accessibility, its numerous shopping arcades and departmental stores, the building has developed into a major shopping destination for many of the locals and vast number of tourists who visit the city. On the eighth floor, there are more than a hundred shops, including famous ones like ‘Macy’s’. It also houses an inbuilt theatre, numerous restaurants and restaurants completed in chrome and glass foyers. The building design is a great success in the retail world, and certainly deserves a special spot on the worlds tallest buildings list.
Right in the heart of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, Water Tower Place is a shopper’s paradise and one of the best urbanized shopping experiences anywhere!