By Jennifer Martin

hen people think of Chicago architecture they usually picture Greek cornices, plaster ceilings and old masonry. But Sutherland Pearsall Development Corp. had a different idea when developing a new, luxury condo tower in the Streeterville neighborhood. Reaching for a futuristic look, the firm hired Brininstool & Lynch, an award-winning Chicago architecture firm known nationwide for its elegant contemporary designs.
The architects planned an upscale tower with distinctive details – among them, a shimmering glass curtain wall, exposed concrete ceilings and a textural white concrete exterior that hides the parking garage. The response: more than 80 percent of the residences were sold within the first few months of the project’s release. It was firm proof that in addition to the classic architecture buffs in Chicago, there’s another audience that prefers a more modern aesthetic. To Ron Ruby, that demographic is an underserved group.
“This residence is for people who are affluent and who are looking for something that’s not traditional,” said Ruby, managing broker of WEICHERT, REALTORS® - First Chicago, a full-service real estate firm that’s representing the condo units at 550 St. Clair. “This type of design gives buyers an alternative if they’re more interested in a minimalist look with clean, elegant lines.”
The all-glass façade of 550 St. Clair offers each resident a floor-to-ceiling panorama of the city. Pocket doors that slide into and out of walls add flexibility to the light, airy rooms. A bedroom can quickly become a media room or dining room, for example. Each residence is also pre-wired with satellite TV receptors, ultra high-speed Internet lines and Category 5 high-capacity telephone/data cables.
But modern doesn’t mean cheap: Sutherland Pearsall didn’t skimp on materials. Residents can choose between Brazilian cherry or maple hardwood flooring throughout. Kitchens include Sub-Zero refrigerators with built-in icemakers, Bosch built-in ovens, granite countertops, imported Alno cabinetry and other premium features. Bathrooms incorporate European designer vanities with full-width mirrors and separate, glass-door showers. Master bathrooms come with marble or slate flooring, tub surround and shower walls. Grohe plumbing fixtures are found throughout the residences.
“It’s thoughtfully designed from the inside out,” Ruby said. “Brininstool & Lynch designed the building to maximize the residences, then planned the exterior around it. This is opposite from the approach that’s taken with most buildings, where architects let the exterior determine the shape and limits of the units within.”
Adding to the building’s appeal are a 24-hour doorman and security desk, two high-speed elevators, an urban garden terrace, a lap pool and a fully equipped fitness center with men’s and women’s saunas. The ground floor will include 4,500 square feet of upscale retail space, and 129 heated and ventilated indoor parking spaces are planned for floors two through seven.
Brininstool & Lynch has been tapped by high-end clients throughout the city and nationwide to design residences and commercial space, including Gallery 24 of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Racine Art Museum. With 550 St. Clair, the firm has scored another success, winning an Agents’ Choice Award from Chicago Agent magazine in 2006.
To be sure, part of 550 St. Clair’s appeal lies in its location at the heart of the hip Streeterville neighborhood. At 550 St. Clair, residents are just steps from fine restaurants, upscale shopping, nightlife, the lake and Millennium Park, not to mention the theater district. The site was no accident: It was chosen strategically by Sutherland Pearsall, which has built hundreds of diverse residences throughout Chicago. More recently it was noted for its design of The Grand on Grand, a soaring glass, concrete and steel high rise in the River North neighborhood.
The 550 St. Clair development offers entry-level units as well as more exclusive ones. Studios start in the $200,000s; one-bedroom and two-bedroom residences range from the low $400,000s to the mid-$500,000s. The first move-ins are planned for the fall.
To WEICHERT, REALTORS® - First Chicago, 550 St. Clair represents the latest success of both Brininstool & Lynch and Sutherland Pearsall. “They wanted to create a space that was functional, open and modern, with graceful spaces for living and relaxing,” Ruby said. “They achieved it in a very elegant way.”

Top Photo: MArk Sutherland (left) and Alexander Pearsall (right)

550 St. Clair
Sales office:
201 E. Ohio St.
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 222-0550
(312) 222-0551 (fax)
http://www.550StClair.com
info@550stclair.com