In our recent interview with Albert Friedman, the developer who restored many of River North’s classic loft buildings was diplomatic about the bland towers and tourist-oriented dreck that dominate parts of the neighborhood. He admitted that attaching a barbecue grill to the side of a building or a giant frog to the top of one probably wouldn’t have been his first choices, but he said that in today’s more competitive market, developers are rolling out better designs in River North. Why? Because they have to.

New office buildings, generally designed better than residential high-rises, are raising the bar, and so are residential projects ranging from CMK Companies’ completed Contemporaine condos, 516 N Wells St, to The Habitat Company’s Kingsbury Plaza apartment tower, underway at 520 N Kingsbury St.

New office buildings include HUB 116, 116 W Hubbard St, an eight-story building perched at a rakish angle with funky fenestration and an attention-grabbing shade over the penthouse level (photo above at right). The building manages to fit in with the vintage structures around it, maybe because the design is simultaneously ultra-contemporary and a little retro.

Around the corner, developer Hines is in the early stages of constructing 300 North LaSalle, a 60-story glass and stainless steel office tower that’s aiming for LEED certification (rendering and construction photo above). It’s early to pass judgement on this one, but the renderings show a clean, elegant design that should be a classy addition in this prominent riverfront spot. Law firm Kirkland & Ellis will occupy about half of the tower.

You can see Contemporaine in the foreground, with Kingsbury Plaza underway in the distance in the shot below.