Overview
This is another case of LEED certified project which achieves both LEED Platinum for Existing Buildings and LEED Gold for Core and Shell (CS). This week we will introduce 300 North LaSalle and explore the role stainless steel plays in this remarkable building.
300 North LaSalle
Completed in 2009, 300 North LaSalle is a 60-story tower standing 785 feet high (to the highest point) along the Chicago River in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It serves primarily as an office building with 53 levels dominated by office spaces, 3 underground floors as parking garage, and 7 floors for mix-used purposes (Clark Construction Group, LLC). Its garage can accommodate 225 cars. Apart from corporate offices, the building also houses a waterfront café, retail shops, restaturants, a confenrence center, and a fitness center.
300 North LaSalle occupies a 1.2-acre site and covers a total area of 1.3 million sqf (or 121770 m2), among which 1300279-square-foot (120800 m2) usable spaces are served by 32 elevators. Due to its prominent location on the north bank of Chicago River, the tower features a half-acre waterfront public graden with direct access to the river’s edge, reestabilishing a pedestrian linkage to the city. As one of the city’s tallest buildings, 300 North LaSalle adds proudly a new visual identity to Chicago skyline.
The Background Information of 300 North LaSalle
Skyscrapers are nothing uncommon in United Staes, justified by so many cases introduced in the prevision cases such as International Gem Tower, Manhattan Pyramid, One World Trade Center, Chrylser Building, and Empire State Building. They are all located in New York, contributing to the largest skyline in US.
However, the impression of high-rise buildings associated with New York city can diminish the fact that the brithplace of skyscraper is Chicago. The Home Insurance Building that stood in Chicago during 1885 and 1931, passes for the world’s first skyscraper for both of its steel-frame design and its 10-story (expanded later to 12 stories) height. The building’s 55-meter height consitituted an incredible number for the 19th century. Desipte the third-largest city in US (after New York and Los Angeles), Chicago’s skyline is the second largest in USA. Plus, 5 of the 15 tallest buildings in USA are also situated in Chicago.
Yet, 300 North LaSalle wins its place here and sets a record. Even prior to the groundbreaking, 300 North LaSalle had already secured its big client. In 2005, Kirkland & Ellis, LLP, the largest law firm in Chicago signed on as the anchor tenant to lease more than 600,000 square feet to base its 14000 employees on 24 floors for its global headquarters. Designed to maximize perimeter offices, 300 North LaSalle also has high-profile clients such as Boston Consulting Group, Quarles & Brady LLP, Aviva as its major tenants as well. (Urban Land Institute 2026)
Back to the project, Hines as the developer acquired the site in 2006. Construction started in May that same year without delay and completed in March 2009, costing $480 million. Despite the struggling economy in 2009, the lease status of 300 North LaSalle achieved remarkably 96%. In 2010, Hines sold the building to KBS REIT II, Inc. for $655 million (or $503 per square foot), commanding the highest price ever paid for a downtown Chicago office building at that time and contributing to one of the America’s largest commercial property transactions that year. Later in 2014, the building was sold again to the today’s owner Irvine Company without further change.
The Design of of 300 North LaSalle
300 North LaSalle is desined by Pickard Chilton in collobration with Kendall/Heaton Associates. The project has received multiple awards for its architectural design since 2008, including but not limeted to Green Good Design Award in 2010, Office Development of the Year award (NAIOP) in 2010, The Best New Office Building Award Friends of Downtown Chicago in 2010, and Honor Award AIA Connecticut in 2012.
The architect aimed for a modern image for this new building while carrying on the tradition of the Chicago skyscraper. The solution came out as a high-rise building culminating with richly articulated glass and stainless-steel curtainwall. The deliberate placement of the tower’s rectangular form on the northern limit of its site makes the most of the daylight and view towards the public garden in the south while minimizing solar heat gain on the narrow east and west facades. The transparent and luminous façade creates a light and delicate silhouette, making the tower look like a beacon along the Chicago River. (Council on Vertical Urbanism 2026)
Apart from the aesthetic and functional performance of the above-mentioned curtain wall, 300 North LaSalle is extremely energy efficient and sustainable in other aspects, such as the innovative use of water directly from the adjascent Chiago River for its HVAC system, a 50% green roof planted with indigenous plants, and the incorporation of regional materials. Almost all the demolimtion and construction waste was recyclyed. Plus, a new riverfront plaza was built to hide the river-water intake tanks while encouraging more pedestrain actities.
Stainless Steel Applied in 300 North LaSalle
Stainless steel plays a key role in metal material supply for 300 North LaSalle. The building façade consists of both stainless steel and aluminum while stainless steel is integraded into nearly every facet of the façade (ISSF 2025). In addition, stainless steel is also applied in the building’s canopies, balconies and entrances (ISSF 2025).
According to Mirror Metals (2026), the local supplier of the architectural sheet metal, stainless steel sheets in grade T316 and #6 satin brushed finish are applied in this project. Stainless steel 316 features excellent corrosion resistance, more durable than common grade 304, which bespeaks the above-average quality of this project. The finish is chosen for the architect’s preference for the “white-clean color”. Overall, stainless steel is timeless and can easily evoke contemporary feelings.
Stainless Steel Materials from CIVMATS China
If you are looking for stainless steel sheets in satin brushed finish as in the case of 300 North LaSalle, welcome to CIVMATS China. Grades and dimensions are customizable. CIVMATS also have 2B, No.1, No.4, BA and Mirror finish for your multiple choices.
For long products, stainless steel bars (round, flat, square, hex, angle and channel), pipe tubes, wires & ropes are in house produced with strict quality control. With stocked billets ready for production, these materials can also be customized in a short period of time. Consultation is FREE! Welcome to CIVMATS for enquiry or/and purchasing. Choose CIVAMTS, choose reliability and safety in China.
