The High Life

Built within a mansard roof, this penthouse apartment in Chicago is both a modern space and a nod to the architecture of the building with its uniquely curved walls. MELODY BAY finds out more.

- Melody Bay

WHO LIVES HERE

A family of four

HOME Chicago mansard penthouse apartment

SIZE 8,000 sq ft

No matter which direction you turn in this penthouse, situated on the 38th and 39th floors and designed by Wheeler Kearns Architects, you’re greeted by beautiful views – whether they’re of the 270-degree views of Chicago out the window or the stately furniture and artwork within the walls of the home.

Even the walls have a sculptural quality. They articulate the natural geometry of the mansard roof this penthouse was built in, curving down in a gentle arch. This creates the modern, timeless space the homeowners – a family of four – wanted while paying tribute to the building’s character.

Coming to this decision was not an easy one, as John Heinert, principal at Wheeler Kearns Architects, shares: “Frankly, our instinct and our initial plan were to suppress the geometry and furr (or layer) the perimeter walls further into the room, allowing them to be completely vertical. As framing got underway and it was clear how much floor space would be lost due to the furring, the owner asked that we take another look at embracing the slope.”

With the aid of advanced computer modelling and visualisation, the design team created several iterations before settling on a design that was uniformly extruded and accounted for every window opening.