![]() You won’t have much trouble seeing this building: as Chicago’s third-tallest, it’s clearly visible amidst the city’s skyline. 875 N Michigan Avenue (formerly John Hancock Center) Every one of its 900 apartments includes a curved balcony, which lends the building its distinctive shape. Goldberg believed that as no right angles existed in nature, they shouldn’t exist in living spaces either. But its most notable quality must be that corncob design. To that end, it included retail space, a movie theater, swimming pool, a bowling alley, 19 floors of car parking and a small marina for pleasure boats. Marina City was developed by architect Bertrand Goldberg as a “city within a city,” a residential mixed-use complex intended to attract middle-class people back to inner-city residences. It was a revolutionary design for a revolutionary concept. The upward-facing floodlights atop its many setbacks give the building a golden glow, topped by the shining beacon that is a 6,500-pound statue of Roman goddess of agriculture, Ceres. It looks impressive any time of day, but if you want to see its full majesty, approach it from South LaSalle at night. The art deco Chicago Board of Trade Building was Chicago’s tallest building between 19, and it still presents a commanding image at the foot of South LaSalle Street. In reality, it was a post-prohibition restaurant called the Stratosphere Club. For many years people have speculated that the cupola housed a prohibition speakeasy run by Al Capone. But the building’s ornate beauty remained a selling point, and the building itself a source of intrigue. But these didn’t stick around long-the lift often broke down, and as car designs changed to become shorter and wider, they no longer fit the lift or the parks. When it was completed in 1927, it featured a couple of unique innovations: the world’s tallest parking garage (23 floors), and a car lift which could carry armored cars directly to the building’s tenant jewelers. The Jewelers’ Building stands out for its tower and cupola, which almost looks like another small building stacked on top. It’s also notable as the first office building in Chicago to offer air conditioning, a feature quickly adopted by buildings across the city. ![]() The building is floodlit at night, and handwashed to keep its shine as brilliant as it was back in 1921. To achieve a similar effect, the building was clad in 250,000 terra cotta tiles in six shades of white, which make it appear brighter as it rises. Its design was influenced by owner William Wrigley Jr.’s memories of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition and its “White City,” a series of gleaming white buildings illuminated at night by brilliant electric lights. Watching over the Chicago River, this Magnificent Mile gateway is one of the city’s most distinctive buildings, and the first major office building built north of the Chicago River. Some say the entire building was designed to resemble a champagne bottle, but you can judge the resemblance for yourself. The tower’s dark green terra cotta with gold leaf accents stands out amongst the area’s predominant shades of gray and black, and the gold spire (covered in real 24 karat gold, just one five-thousands of an inch thick) stands as a brilliant tribute to the roaring ‘20s. ![]() While grand in many ways, its most striking feature must be its colors and the materials used in its construction. Given the admiring gazes the building continues to draw today, they were successful. The original owners of this art deco triumph wanted their building to make a statement. Keep an eye out for Aesop’s Screen above the main entrance, a carving which features icons representing architects Howells & Hood: a dog (Howells) and Robin Hood (Hood). Its design was the result of a competition the Tribune held to create the “most beautiful and distinctive office building in the world.” Whether or not it meets that lofty standard, it definitely remains a striking specimen nearly a century after its completion. You could say the neo-gothic Tribune Tower was award-winning from day one. If you want to trace the history and evolution of the city’s skyscraper design, these 11 examples are some must-sees. No matter where you go, you’ll see something to impress and inspire. Walk along any downtown street and you’ll see example after example of superb design, from neo-gothic, to art deco, to modernist, postmodern, contextual, contemporary, and everything in between. Chicago is one of the world’s great architectural destinations. ![]()
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