Astor Tower

In the historic Gold Coast, Astor Tower adds a distinctly midcentury chapter to a neighborhood better known for its layers of Chicago history. Rising at 1300 North Astor Street, the building places Bertrand Goldberg’s modernist vision within easy reach of Lake Michigan, Lincoln Park, Old Town, and the Magnificent Mile. Its architecture remains direct and confidently urban, a reminder that modernism can acquire its own patina without losing its clarity.

The tower opened in 1963 as the Astor Tower Hotel and soon became part of the city’s cultural orbit. Bette Davis and John Belushi were among its notable guests, while the Beatles stayed during their 1966 tour following the release of Revolver. Goldberg, also the architect behind Marina City, brought to the project the independent spirit that defined much of his work. Astor Tower is less sculptural than his famous riverfront towers, but it shares their refusal to disappear politely into the background.

The building’s social history extended downstairs to Maxim’s de Paris Chicago, a detailed counterpart to the celebrated Paris restaurant and nightclub. For more than two decades, it brought French cuisine and an unmistakable sense of occasion to Astor Street; today, the space is occupied by the private Astor Club. Above it, the former hotel has evolved into a boutique condominium building. That progression, from fashionable hotel to residential address, feels particularly at home in the Gold Coast, where old rooms regularly find new roles and the city’s past remains part of the atmosphere.