Astra Tower (Salt Lake City)
| Astra Tower | |
|---|---|
 Astra Tower in August 2025 | |
Interactive map of the Astra Tower area | |
Alternative names | 200 South State Street Kensington Tower |
General information | |
| Type | Residential |
| Location | 89 East 200 South Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Coordinates | 40°45′55″N 111°53′19″W / 40.7653°N 111.8887°W |
Construction started | 2021 |
Completed | 2024 |
| Opening | May 13, 2025 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 449 ft (137 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 40 |
| Floor area | 680,000 sq ft (63,000 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | HKS, Inc. |
Structural engineer | Thornton Tomasetti |
| Main contractor | Jacobsen Construction Company |
| Website | |
| www | |
| References | |
| [1] | |
Astra Tower, known during construction as Kensington Tower, is a high-rise residential skyscraper in Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Rising to 41 stories and 449 feet (137 m) in height, it is the tallest building in both the city and state.
History and construction
The site of the Astra Tower, a 0.7-acre (0.28 ha) lot located at the corner of 200 South and State Street, was previously occupied by a Carl's Jr. restaurant. Development of the tower was led by the Kensington Investment Company (KIC), which estimated the total cost for the project at $260.4 million.[2]
Official groundbreaking occurred in January 2022, with the construction contract being awarded to Salt Lake City-based Jacobsen Construction Company. The building reached full structural height in 2024, surpassing the nearby Wells Fargo Center by over 35 feet (11 m) to become the tallest building in Utah.[3]
Construction of the apartment building was completed in early 2025, and a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on May 13, 2025, to celebrate the building’s opening.[4]
Design
The Astra Tower is designed and built to LEED environmental standards, and is certified as LEED Gold BD+C.[1] The building was constructed with regional environmental issues in mind; using approximately 14 million U.S. gallons (53 million liters) of potable water per year, about 35% less than expected usage of skyscrapers of similar size.[5]
Air Quality Beacon
A prominent feature of the Astra Tower's facade is its integrated LED "crown," which functions as a real-time air quality beacon for the Salt Lake Valley.[3][6] The lighting system is synced with data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, alongside using data collected by sensors at the top of the building, to provide a visual representation of the current air quality in the area.[7]
See also
References
- 1 2 "Astra Tower - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Utah's tallest high-rise project under construction | Construction Dive". ConstructionDive. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
- 1 2 "Astra Tower". Thorton Tomasetti. 29 August 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
- ↑ Semerad, Tony (May 14, 2025). "Utah's new tallest skyscraper offers a feature no other SLC building has". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Award of Merit, Sustainability: Astra Tower | Engineering News-Record". ENR. November 21, 2025. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
- ↑ "A Breath of Fresh Air: How Astra Tower Improves Life in Salt Lake City". HKS Architects. 21 November 2025. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
- ↑ Eberhardt, Ellen (January 13, 2026). "HKS tops tallest building in Utah with LED air quality beacon". Dezeen. Retrieved March 23, 2026.