A new 49-story apartment tower is scheduled to break ground this summer at Lakeshore East, the master planned high-rise development on the Chicago River east of Columbus. The planned tower is the work of architects Brininstool Kerwin + Lynch. It’s the first major project by the 17-month-old partnership formed in early 2010 when Thomas Kerwin, a former managing partner at Skidmore Owings & Merrill, teamed with David Brininstool and Brad Lynch of the former Brininstool + Lynch architecture firm.

Balconies on the tower’s north and south sides—recessed behind glass—form the building’s banded look. Lynch said the design of the balconies “not only provides visual interest, but practical shading and uninterrupted views from [inside] the units.” The tower is planned just east of Harry Weese-designed Swissotel.