(CHICAGO) – River Point partners Ivanhoé Cambridge, Hines and Levy Family Partners joined today in announcing the installation of Constellation, the Calatrava sculpture for River Point Park. The assembly of the red leafy sculpture is underway and will continue for several weeks. During this time, portions of the park will be closed to the public for additional landscape enhancement.
World renowned Spanish-Swiss architect, structural engineer, sculptor and painter Santiago Calatrava created this unique and vibrant sculpture to be installed in the park at River Point. Calatrava’s intention in this sculpture is for it to simply grow from the ground. Within each figure, an internal logic of autonomy delivers lyrical forms and implies a sense of elevation and spiritual uplifting, reflecting the building’s mirrored architectural arch.
“I feel very honored that my work was chosen to be integrated in the streetscape of Chicago, a city with such an extraordinary tradition of urban art and architecture,” said the sculpture’s author, Santiago Calatrava.
Constellation will stand 29 feet in height and width, with twists in an outward reaching spiral constructed of overlapping leaflike elements descending in scale from very large at the sculpture’s base to very small at the outer reach of the sculpture’s spiral form. When approached from any angle, the massive layered spiral reveals stunning architectural depth, overhand and movement.
“This spectacular addition to the City of Chicago’s vibrant and renowned public works of art at River Point Park is another great example of how this amenities-rich and best-in-class office building truly makes a difference to the City, the community, and our tenants,” said Jonathan Pearce, Executive Vice President, Leasing and Development, Office and Industrial, North America, Ivanhoé Cambridge.
“River Point is a world-class project that has reshaped the iconic Chicago skyline,” said Jim Walsh, Senior Managing Director at Hines’ Chicago regional office. “The reflections of the bright red sculpture on the River and the glass tower will be an amazing sight to see. It is a great artistic touch to our plaza and the riverfront.”
“Chicagoans have been highly anticipating the arrival of this sculpture and we are excited to welcome this as a new focal point in the city’s rich history of world class architecture and outdoor public sculpture. I am very proud that the model used in selecting the Calatrava sculpture will be displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago alongside models for Chicago’s Picasso, Calder and DuBuffet sculptures,” added Larry Levy, Managing Partner of Levy Family Partners. “I am sincerely grateful to former Mayor Rahm Emanuel who persisted in creating a beautiful sculpture on River Point Park during his term in office.”
About Santiago Calatrava
Santiago Calatrava is well known as the architect and engineer of many unique buildings and structures including the Milwaukee Museum of Art; the Oculus in New York City; and the Peace Bridge in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. His solo exhibitions have been displayed at museums and galleries all around the world.
Calatrava’s work continues to shape and redefine the boundaries that have historically separated the visual arts, particularly sculpture, from architecture and engineering. This is evident in the artist’s broad oeuvre of works which includes ceramics, drawings, paintings, sculpture, architecture and engineering projects. These works express a unified aesthetic anchored in the artist’s continuing exploration of the relationship between the origins of creativity and the evolutionary structure of the natural world. Mr. Calatrava lives and works in Zurich, Switzerland and is represented by the Marlborough Gallery.
About River Point
River Point is co-owned by Ivanhoé Cambridge, the real estate investment arm of Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and one of the largest real estate companies in the world.
River Point is a state-of-the-art 52-story office tower located in Chicago's West Loop submarket. Designed by Pickard Chilton Architects, the project offers dramatic world-class architecture, efficient interior design and outstanding views. The 1,100,000-square-foot building provides efficient 25,000-square-foot floorplates allowing maximum space planning flexibility. First-class amenities include a 1.5-acre public park and landscaped riverwalk with extraordinary views of the Chicago River and Wacker Drive, a 150-car garage, amenity retail, fine dining restaurant, fitness center, and building conference center.
About Ivanhoé Cambridge
Ivanhoé Cambridge develops and invests in high-quality real estate properties, projects and companies that are shaping the urban fabric in dynamic cities around the world. It does so responsibly, with a view to generate long-term performance. Ivanhoé Cambridge is committed to creating living spaces that foster the well-being of people and communities, while reducing its environmental footprint.
Vertically integrated in Canada, Ivanhoé Cambridge invests internationally alongside strategic partners and major real estate funds that are leaders in their markets. Through subsidiaries and partnerships, the Company holds interests in more than 1,000 buildings, primarily in the industrial and logistics, office, residential and retail sectors. Ivanhoé Cambridge held C$64 billion in real estate assets as at December 31, 2019 and is a real estate subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (cdpq.com), one of Canada's leading institutional fund managers. For more information: ivanhoecambridge.com.
About Hines
Hines is a privately owned global real estate investment firm founded in 1957 with a presence in 205 cities in 24 countries. Hines has approximately $133.3 billion of assets under management, including $71 billion for which Hines serves as investment manager, including non-real estate assets, and $62.3 billion for which Hines provides third-party property-level services. The firm has 165 developments currently underway around the world. Historically, Hines has developed, redeveloped or acquired 1,393 properties, totaling over 459 million square feet. The firm’s current property and asset management portfolio includes 539 properties, representing over 232 million square feet. With extensive experience in investments across the risk spectrum and all property types, and a pioneering commitment to sustainability, Hines is one of the largest and most-respected real estate organizations in the world.
About Levy Family Partners
Levy Family Partners is a family investment office that oversees a broad portfolio of public and private investments, with an emphasis on real estate, hospitality, and venture capital.
