Chicago Nobu Hotel construction about to go vertical

Though the team behind Chicago’s upcoming Nobu Hotel held an official groundbreaking ceremony at its West Loop site over a year ago, construction of the project has been particularly slow moving. However, as of this week, construction workers were spotted erecting a tower crane base, indicating that this one is about to go vertical quickly.

Developers were granted a foundation permit back in December 2016, but foundation work didn’t really begin in earnest until just a couple of months ago with the drilling for caissons. Nobu joins dozens of other major developments currently in the works in the West Loop, a neighborhood which is undergoing a major transition.

Originally proposed as a 12-story building before being chopped down to eight levels and then growing back to eleven floors, the project has been at the center of intense neighborhood discussions for over three years. Since it was first presented to the West Loop community, Nobu has changed architects and has seen a complete redesign from the one that was initially unveiled. The hotel’s finalized design comes from Modif Architecture with Chicago-based Studio K handling the interiors.

When completed, the hotel will feature an indoor pool, private event space, rooftop bar and lounge, and a 10,000-square-foot Nobu restaurant from namesake chef Nobu Matsuhisa. Nobu will face an increasingly crowded West Loop boutique hotel market as other upcoming nearby projects include the Ace Hotel, the Hoxton, and the yet-to-be-revealed Equinox hotel.

• Foundation work finally begins on Chicago’s Nobu Hotel [Curbed Chicago]
• A look at construction in Chicago’s hot West Loop [Curbed Chicago]
• Chicago’s Nobu Hotel is finally ready to begin construction [Curbed Chicago]