Renovated condo in a classic Mies van der Rohe building wants $499K

You don’t have to be a staunch modernist to appreciate this smartly updated condo designed by famous German-American architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in Chicago’s Gold Coast, listed for just under $500,000.

Located in the two-building Esplanade Apartments at 910 N. Lake Shore Drive, the property was completed in 1955 and pioneered the kind of exterior curtain wall the designer employed in subsequent high-rise developments. The lakefront towers were converted from rentals to condos in 1979.

Although water views may not be as front and center as in some other units in the building, the northwest-facing home still offers sight lines to the lake and downtown and lets in an abundance of natural light through its floor-to-ceiling windows.

The clean lines and sturdy details of any Miesian design tend to hold up rather well over time, but this unit benefits from a renovation includes a flowing floorplan, ebony hardwood floors, and customized closets. The appliances, fixtures, and countertops of its white kitchen and bathrooms have also been freshened up since the 1950s.

Technically a three-bedroom residence, the home’s third sleeping quarters are now mostly open to the main living area and currently serve as a home office. As a somewhat cerebral touch, the space displays a text wall with a quote from Ayn Rand’s 1943 novel The Fountainhead.

The 1,440-square-foot condo first listed in August for $525,000. It recently returned with a lower asking price of $499,000. The building’s homeowner association charges a $1,002 monthly assessment and prohibits dogs—a fact that could be a deal-breaker for canine-inclined buyers.

• 910 N. Lake Shore Drive #1320, Chicago, IL [Coldwell Banker Residential]