Contextual views of the new Coast and Optima Center apartment towers

Architects are generally sensitive to the context in which their buildings will be situated.

Building renderings and photos, however, rarely show the context, or offer only a limited glimpse of the surroundings.

This panoramic view of the north side of the Chicago River, seen from upper Wacker Drive, illustrates Optima Center‘s distinctive presence on this part of the skyline. The building’s distinctive black glass base sharply defines its non-residential portion.

The new Coast tower, which recently began its leasing program, is the second building on the right of the above image and can be seen in fuller context in the following image.