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Jan 28, 2020 · Explore 27 notable structures that define the city's skyline and culture, from the Willis Tower to the Marina City. Learn about their histories, architectural styles, and current developments.
Learn about the history and current status of the skyscrapers in Chicago, the third-largest city in the United States and the birthplace of the skyscraper. See the rankings, heights, years, and coordinates of the 56 buildings that stand taller than 600 feet (183 m).
RankNameHeight Ft (m)Floors11,451 (442)10821,388 (423)9831,198 (363)10141,136 (346)83The Department of Buildings enhances safety and quality of life for Chicago's residents and visitors through permitting, inspections, trade licensing, and code enforcement.
- The Rookery Building
- Chicago Cultural Center
- Wrigley Building
- Tribune Tower
- Willis Tower
- Robie House
- TheMART
- Marina City
- 875 N. Michigan Ave.
- One Illinois Center
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Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Rookery Buildingis located in Chicago’s downtown Financial District. It was designed by famed architectural partners Burnham and Root and was considered one of the world’s grandest buildings when it was completed in 1888. Inside, the winding iron staircase is a must-see. Another striking featu...
Across the street from Millennium Park, the “People’s Palace” opened in 1897 as the first permanent home for the Chicago Public Library. In 1991, it was rededicated as the Chicago Cultural Centerand became the nation’s first free municipal cultural center, hosting concerts, art exhibitions, and other programming throughout the year. Listed as a Chi...
The riverfront Wrigley Buildingdraws inspiration from Spain’s Seville Cathedral combined with French Renaissance details. The building is made up of two towers of differing heights connected by walkways, all clad in glazed terra-cotta. The gleaming white exterior was inspired by William Wrigley’s visit to Chicago’s World’s Columbian Expositionin 18...
Standing across from the Wrigley Building, the soaring Tribune Tower was born from a competition held by Chicago Tribune to design “the most beautiful building in the world” for the newspaper’s new headquarters. New York firm Hood and Howells beat out over 250 concepts with its Gothic Revival design, featuring limestone walls, elegant buttresses, i...
Formerly known as the Sears Tower, the Willis Toweris the city’s tallest building and the second tallest structure in the Western Hemisphere. The Willis Tower soars above downtown Chicago, standing tall at 110 stories (1,450 feet). The building, known for its black and bronze facade, is composed of nine separate “tubes” that strengthen the structur...
In Hyde Park, the Robie Houseis a hidden gem that’s one of the finest existing examples of Frank Lloyd Wright’s signature Prairie style. Considered a masterpiece of modern architecture, the home is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in 1910, the Robie House underwent a comprehensive restoration to reveal Wright’s original vision. Take a ...
Covering two city blocks and rising 25 stories above the Chicago River, theMART(originally called The Merchandise Mart) was the largest building in the world when it was completed in 1930. With more than four million square feet of floor space, the commercial building is so large that it previously had its own dedicated ZIP code. Today, TheMART is ...
If the Marina Citytowers look familiar, it may be because they’ve been featured prominently in pop culture, from movies to TV shows to album covers, since the one-of-a-kind design first debuted in 1963. Located along the main branch of the Chicago River, this designated Chicago Landmark’s distinctive design features two cylindrical towers that bear...
One of the world’s most recognized skyscrapers and an iconic example of late-20th century Chicago architecture, 875 N. Michigan Ave. was born from groundbreaking engineering that helped to make buildings taller than 100 stories a new possibility. Breaking from the traditional rectangle shape of most skyscrapers, the structure’s signature X-shaped b...
One Illinois Centeris one of Mies van der Rohe’s final designs, rising above a former rail yard and the site of Fort Dearborn. It is notable as an example of the International Style, marked by an emphasis on volume, with the use of planes of glass versus brick or stone, and a focus on the elegance of materials and technical perfection over applied ...
Explore the city's ground-breaking structures, from the first skyscraper to the second tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. Discover the history, design, and features of 12 must-see buildings in downtown Chicago, including Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House and theMART's digital art projection.
The Chicago Building or Chicago Savings Bank Building is an early skyscraper, built in 1904–1905. It is located at 7 West Madison Street in Chicago. Designed by the architecture firm Holabird & Roche, it is an early and highly visible example of the Chicago school of architecture.
Chicago has long been a laboratory for architectural innovation and experimentation. Discover the stories behind some of the city’s most significant skyscrapers, museums, theaters, bridges, homes, schools, houses of worship and parks.
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The Chicago Building is an example of Chicago School architecture. Beginning in the early 1880s, architectural pioneers of the Chicago School explored steel-frame construction and, in the 1890s, the use of large areas of plate glass.
