As the birthplace to some of the most historic and ground-breaking buildings, Chicago is well recognised around the world for its architecture. From designing the modest balloon-frame home to developing the skyscraper, Chicagoland is the ever-beating architectural heart of America. And thanks to the Chicago Fire of 1871, the buildings here aren’t known for their age but they are rather known for their innovative designs.
Here are hubub’s 5 historic Chicago Architecture buildings not to miss, and the many reasons why you should make it a point to pay them a visit whenever you visit Chicago city.
1.Willis Tower
Home to more than 100 companies, Willis Tower, formerly known as Sears Tower, is the heart of Chicago city. This premier corporate building is made up of a 110-story building, 1450-foot (442.1m) skyscraper in Chicago. It overshadowed the World Trade Center in New York at completion in 1973, to become the tallest building in the world until the new One World Trade Center outshined it in 2014. This iconic building is currently the third tallest building in the Western hemisphere and in the United States and also the 23rd tallest building in the world. The tower comprises of businesses which includes financial, law, insurance, transportation companies and more. Every year, more than one million people from all walks of life visit its observation deck, currently the highest in the United States, making it one of the most popular destinations in Chicago. No trip to Chicago is complete without a visit to the Ledge at Skydeck Chicago and also on the top of the third tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. Dare to stand out on the Ledge glass balconies for a once in a lifetime, thrilling experience.
2.One Illinois Center
This is one of the earliest building designed by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe and completed in 1970. The project was built on a land which was formerly used for railroad yards owned by the Illinois Central Railroad.
One Illinois Center which lies east of Michigan Avenue is a mixed-use urban development in Chicago town. It is well distinguished for the reason that, the streets running through it consist of three levels. The streets of some other places in Chicago have two levels, with the upper level for local traffic and the lower level for service vehicles and for through traffic. However, in Illinois Center, there’s a split in the lower level, with a middle level for through traffic and a lower level for service vehicles.
Apart from the importance of the architecture, One Illinois Center is more popular today for the newly opened Chicago Architecture Center, a highly advanced and innovative museum which integrates an immersive and striking exhibits, including Building Tall, a room packed with extremely large scale models of distinguished skyscrapers from all over the world, with towering panes of glasses which looks out upon the Tribune Tower, Wrigley Building and the Chicago Riverwalk. Never a place to miss out on when visiting or touring the city’s stunning buildings and their enduring legacy.
3.Chicago Cultural Center
Drawn by its exquisite beauty and the fantastic free public events, thousands of visitors from worldwide visit the Chicago Cultural Center year after year, making it part of the most visited attractions in Chicago. As Chicago’s first central public library, the building which was completed in 1897 was designed with the purpose to impress and demonstrate that Chicago had developed into an advance metropolis. When it was first opened in 1897, it was known as the “People’s Palace” but was later rededicated in 1991 as the Chicago Cultural Center and become the nation’s first free municipal cultural venue, hosting free art exhibitions, concerts, dance, theatre and family events among many others throughout the year where the public can learn about and enjoy arts.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and as a Chicago Landmark, the building was developed in the Classical Revival Style, drawing inspiration from the magnificent buildings of ancient Rome and Greece and the extraordinarily detailed structures of Italian Renaissance. The country’s craftsmen and architects used the most deluxe materials, which includes, polished brass, mosaics of Favrile glass, imported marbles, mother of pearl and precious stones; combining the glass mosaics with a luminous 38-foot-diameter dome by the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company in New York. This is truly a great place to visit with family and friends.
FREE 45-minute building tours are conducted from Wednesday through Saturday at 1.15pm.
4.Rookery Building
Designated a Chicago Landmark in 1972 and added to the National Register in 1975, the Rookery Building is located in Downtown Chicago Financial District. It was constructed and completed during a transitional period in architectural history by architects Daniel Burnham and John Wellborn Root in 1888, using both skeletal frame and load bearing masonry which are all unique elements of the Chicago School of Architecture. This masterpiece building is 12 stories tall, 181 feet high, and is regarded the oldest standing high-rise in Chicago. It has a distinguishing style with interior steel frame and an exterior load-bearing walls which presented a transition between new building and accepted techniques. In 1905, the lobby was redesigned by Frank Lloyd Wright, remodelling it in his signature Prairie style. To bring as much natural light as possible to the offices, the building is designed as a hollow square The Rookery stands out today as a significant part of Chicago’s rich history of innovation in architecture and also one of the most highly known addresses in the whole of Chicago, so make some time out to visit Rookery Building for a memorable experience.
5.Marina City
Downtown Chicago, sometimes referred to as the Loop, Marina city is one of the fastest growing residential neighbourhoods in Chicago.
Marina City was completed in 1964 by Bertrand Goldberg and was recognised at that time as the tallest residential buildings in the world and still remains that. Located along the eastern branch of the Chicago main river, Marina’s city unique design comprises of two cylindrical 588-foot towers which bears a distinct similarity to corn cobs. Two distinctive characteristics of the building are the luxury Hotel Chicago and the Houses of Blue. Even though it is not recognized widely as the John Hancock Building or the Sears Tower, Marina City’s unique ‘corn-cob’ shape has made among modern architecture and the Chicago’s Skyline, a remarkable presence. You can rent on the marina level, a small electric boat to explore the Chicago River.
Whether you’re a tourist planning a getaway to Chicago or you’re a local planning to explore and discover some of the city’s stunning and historic buildings, you’re very likely to find great ideas on hubub’s guide to the 5 historic Chicago Architecture buildings not to miss.
What are your most admired architecture buildings here in Chicago? Let us know in the comment section below!
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