Aqua apartments at 225 N. Columbus drive standout in an already magnificent backdrop. Aqua instantly catches your attention not just because it’s an 82 story skyscraper but because of it unique structure. It’s located in the Lakeshore East area. The name itself was chosen by the Magellan Development Group LLC partly because it fits into the nautical theme of the buildings in the Lakeshore East development. Aqua condominiums is in a location with many different recreational activities such as lakefront path, playgrounds, Dog Park, theater district, and tons of other things the downtown Chicago has to offer. The residents don't even have to leave the complex to have a wonderful experience. They have exclusive access to Aqua’s Shore Club. There are 115,000 square feet of amenities on two full-floors including Chicago’s largest outdoor recreation deck. The building has 3 pools, a running track, a fitness center, spa, media, business and game rooms, lounges ,and party suites.

Aqua took about fours years to complete. During construction the form work for the curving edges was guided by a global positioning system.The building is is a mix of glass and beautiful wave like structures that are reminiscent of a design you would see in a Tim Burton movie. The design is by acclaimed architect Jeanne Gang. This is the world's third-tallest building designed by a female architect.

Jeanne said "Aqua was shaped by an organic design process. This building is highly sculptural and transforms as one moves further away. We achieved this by creating a series of contours defined by outdoor terraces that extend away from the face of the structure to capture views that would otherwise be unattainable. These terraces are further defined around the facades to produce a sculptural form that responds to site and use. Its three dimensional qualities result in an exciting new addition to Chicago's skyline."
The building is indeed a wonderful addition to the already impressive Chicago skyline. Aqua has undulating terraces which gives the illusion that the glass is a beautiful stream of water running down the building.The architect team extended the terrace extensions to maximize solar shading. They extend as much as twelve feet from the tower itself and were strategically put in living rooms so bedrooms would have more of an open view. The building has a rainwater collection system and is said to have the biggest green roof in the windy city. The facade is designed to prevent bird collisions, utilizing the irregular curves of the balconies along with special glass that is opaque to birds.

In 2009, Aqua was proclaimed the international skyscraper of the year and when you see it you can certainly understand why. It's beauty differs from all that surround it. It's wave like structure and blue green tinted reflective windows makes looking at this building as calm as the bodies of water that surround it.