Essex on the Park fills in a former parking garage site on Chicago’s South Michigan Avenue streetwall—a 12-block row of historic structures with similar architectural features, most dating from 1882 to 1930. For the first new project on the streetwall since 1958, Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture and developer Oxford Capital Group aimed to create a modern, vibrant structure that would still complement and respect the surrounding historic footprint.
The end result is the tallest building on Michigan Avenue south of the Chicago River, a 56-story, mixed-used residential tower with 479 luxury apartments ranging from studios to penthouse suites. While the tower’s base conforms to the shape and size of the streetwall, the majority of its mass is lifted above the historic Essex Inn next door—redeveloped as the Hotel Essex in Oxford Capital Group’s master plan—in order to preserve the hotel’s lakefront views. The exterior sides on the upper level are clad in clear, tinted, and patterned glasses, accented with stepped elements and recesses, in an echo and literal reflection of the surrounding buildings.
Off the main lobby is the centerpiece of Essex on the Park’s amenity suite—a four-story “winter garden” with lounge space, an indoor pool and hot tub, and a 50-foot window wall overlooking Lake Michigan and Grant Park. Sliding NanaWall doors lead to a number of indoor-outdoor spaces, including kitchens, cabanas, and fire pits.
Interior shared amenities include a game room, a business center, a fitness center, a club room, and an exhibition kitchen. The Hotel Essex’s Grand Park Bistro restaurant, SX Sky Bar nightlife venue, and valet parking services are also available to Essex on the Park residents.
The building structure promotes a healthy and comfortable living environment through design features and building technology, including electric light glare control, exterior noise dampening, and air and water quality preservation. It is both LEED certified and the first residential property to achieve WELL certification in Illinois.
