As construction wraps up on Helmut Jahn‘s 600 North Fairbanks, we thought we’d take a glance back at the building’s origins. Its shape was in part determined by its very traditional neighbor, according to Sandy Gorshow, a project architect with Murphy / Jahn.
The 41-story high-rise abuts 610 N Fairbanks Ct, a three-story building steeped in Chicago history. From 1932 to 1960, 610 N Fairbanks was home to the Chez Paree nightclub, known for world-class acts like Tony Bennett, Milton Berle and Sammy Davis, Jr.
Schatz Development owns both sites, which allowed some leeway in the construction of 600 North Fairbanks, Gorshow says. Its location next to the shorter structure ensures unobstructed north views. And because zoning regulations for the two sites were combined, Murphy / Jahn could design 600 North Fairbanks to encroach slightly into the air space over its neighbor. The building has an 8.5-foot overhang on the north side of the building. “It’s the extra 8.5 feet that made the apartments viable,” Gorshow says. “That’s the trick that made this project possible.”