Would Have Been Wednesday – Lake Bluff Tower

For this weeks Wednesday Woulda, Coulda Shoulda recap of a project that never became reality takes us to Milwaukee 2005 for Lake Bluff Tower, a proposed 100-unit high-rise residential building with three below grade levels of parking which would have been located directly north of Downtown Milwaukee and on the edge of a bluff 50 feet above Lincoln Memorial Drive. The Lake Bluff Tower site presented one of the most unique and significant design opportunities in the City of Milwaukee. Located at the edge of the City and Lake Michigan, the proposed design sought to weave together the land and water in an integrated landscape of gardens and structures.

Due to its high density, and the location of the site, the relationship of the City edge to the Lake becomes a critical design element. Epsteins proposal visually extends the Lake into the City and the City towards the Lake, creating an edge which exhibits a harmonious balance of landscape and buildings.

In order to achieve these goals Epstein utilized three strategies in determining the design of the site: maintaining open visual access to the Lake from Prospect Avenue; integrating residential scale elements into the design of the master plan and weaving together the physical features of both the Lake and the City. The most significant and visually impressive is the orientation of the main tower slab on a diagonal across the site.This orientation results in an open view corridor framing Lake Michigan and Veterans Park from the Burns Triangle park and sculpture garden to the west of Prospect Avenue. This permits the natural amenities of the shoreline to penetrate past the bluff line.

In addition, rotating the building orients the single loaded units directly south capturing both the lake, downtown Milwaukee, and the new Milwaukee Art Museum extension.

Finally, four townhouse units on the ground level would have been developed on the edge of the Bluff overlooking the Lake.All the units were elevated above the deck level allowing unobstructed views of the Lake and City Skyline.

Sadly, the developer for this project ran into financing issues and our design never took flight. But on the positive our architectural vision was recognized by both the Chicago Chapter American Institute of Architects and the National Organization of the Society of American Registered Architects for Unbuilt Design Awards!