The Couture Tops Out

It’s official: the tallest residential building in Wisconsin is The Couture in Milwaukee. The 47-story tower, which is part of the Lakefront Gateway Project to revitalize that part of downtown, topped out on Wednesday with a celebration hosted by general contractor Findorff. We provided structural design and façade engineering to RINKA and construction engineering services to Findorff for the 860,000-square-foot mixed-use development. The slender, 537-foot-high tower (as measured from the top of foundations) will include 322 high-end apartment units and 50,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space at the podium. As part of the project’s plan to improve connectivity between the lakefront and adjacent communities, the site contains a new light rail station that passes through the podium and over the two-story basement parking levels. A future pedestrian bridge will link the building to the waterfront, which boasts the Milwaukee Art Museum, Summerfest and many of the city’s other top attractions. The tower will be ready for its first residents in April and will be completed this summer.