As Chicago celebrated the ceremonial ground-breaking of the supertall Vista Tower just across the river, another high-profile project — a new flagship Apple store designed by world-renown architecture firm Foster + Partners — reached an important construction milestone with the installation of its crane. Though officially permitted by the city back in May, the equipment’s recent arrival will allow the construction of an airy, 20,000-square-foot retail space carved into the side of Pioneer Court to move forward.

Located at 401 N. Michigan, the project is architect Sir Norman Foster’s first in the Windy City. Designed with a nod to Chicago’s Prairie School of architecture with its long, flat roofline, the plan will also include a grand staircase to activate the store’s frontage along the north bank of the Chicago River's main branch. Apple's current flagship Chicago location a few blocks north at 679 N. Michigan Avenue is expected to close when the new store opens.