Crafting Your Experience
Chicago Architecture CenterChicago has long been a laboratory for architectural innovation and experimentation. Let the Chicago Architecture Center lead you through the stories behind some of the city’s most significant skyscrapers. Come on an adventure to unlock the secrets of ten iconic Chicago Buildings. Cover photo courtesy of Jessica Cabe
As you pass by the Monadnock Building in Chicago’s Loop, you may not recognize it as a transitional moment in architectural history. But in this building, the shift can be seen from load-bearing construction to skeleton frame construction.
Don’t let the Inland Steel Building fool you. It’s an architectural giant disguised as a modest office building. Architects and architecture buffs have admired the sophisticated, Mid-Century Modern design of this Chicago classic for generations.
For nearly 25 years after its completion, the Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower, held the title of tallest building in the world. The Willis Tower laid the foundation for the supertall buildings being built today.
Holding court at the south end of LaSalle St., the Chicago Board of Trade Building presides over Chicago’s financial district. The regal 45-story skyscraper is the epitome of Art Deco styling.
In 1922, the Chicago Tribune announced an international competition. Two hundred and sixty-three entries, 23 countries and a place in history as one of the largest, and most important architectural competitions in America - this is the legacy of the Tribune Tower.
Marina City was an urban experiment designed with the intent of drawing middle-class Chicagoans back to the city after more than a decade of suburban migration - a city within a city.
When completed, the Rookery was thought to be the largest and finest office building in the United States. Located at the corner of LaSalle and Adams, the Rookery is one of Chicago’s most elegant buildings and a star of the LaSalle Street financial corridor.
When it comes to Chicago’s iconic skyline, it isn’t always easy to make a mark and stand out from the crowd. But that isn’t something the Harold Washington Library has struggled to do.
When you first encounter the Thompson Center, you might wonder if a UFO has landed in the middle of the Loop. The Helmut Jahn-designed center of state government is unabashedly Postmodern, with colorful details and a shape that references the dome of the state's capitol.
