What is one thing that defines a city landscape? It is nothing other than the buildings of that city. The pictures of the Skyline of cities like New York and Paris are iconic and the ripple the buildings in these cities play in enhancing the view is not small.
Not just architecturally beautiful and aesthetically pleasing to the eye, the tall buildings in cities known as skyscrapers also play a major role in accommodating the large populations of big cities against the limitations in residential land. Almost every big city in the world can be now associated with a tall building today, which serves as an important landmark of the city.
When it comes to tall buildings, no one can talk about them without mentioning the coyote of Chicago. While tall buildings are a staple of any modern city, Chicago can be said to be where it all started.
The city of Chicago is referred to as the birthplace of skyscrapers. The Home Insurance Building which was completed in 1885 in the city of Chicago is said to be the world’s first skyscraper.
The city is known for its innovations in making tall buildings from an early age, other than most cities in the world. For decades, Chicago and New York remained the only cities in the United States to have such beautiful; and huge skylines.
It’s been quite a long journey from the first skyscraper to the Chicago skyline that we see today. Let us take a look at some of the top 10 tallest buildings in Chicago right now.
List Of Top 10 Tallest Buildings In Chicago 2023
- Willis Tower – 1,451 feet (442 m)
- Trump International Hotel and Tower – 1,388 feet (423 m)
- St. Regis Chicago – 1,198 feet (363 m)
- Aoan Center – 1,136 feet (346 m)
- 875 North Michigan Avenue – 1,127 feet (346 m)
- Franklin Center – 1,033 feet (315 m)
- Two Prudential Plaza – 995 feet (303 m)
- One Chicago East Tower – 973 feet (296 m)
- 311 South Wacker Drive – 961 feet (293 m)
- NEMA Chicago – 896 feet (271.1 m)
10. NEMA Chicago – 896 feet (271.1 m)
Kicking off the list of the top 10 tallest buildings in Chicago is the 76-story residential skyscraper in Chicago, the NEMA Chicago. NEMA Chicago is a real estate project that is owned by S Loop Chicago Development II, LLC.
The 10th tallest building in Chicago, the NEMA Chicago is located in the Near South Side, in the Central Station neighborhood of the city.
The construction of the building started in 2015 and after taking almost four years to construct, the building was completed in 2019. The construction of NEMA Chicago was carried out by Crescent Heights.
NEMA Chicago currently stands at a height of 896 feet (271.1 m). The building was designed by Rafael Vinoly and Magnusson Klemencic Associates worked as the structural engineer while James McHugh Construction Company worked as the main contractor of the building during its construction.
Apart from being the 10th tallest building in Chicago, NEMA Chicago also holds the record for being the tallest fully rental building in Chicago. The building has a76 floors and it contains around 800 apartments in the building.
9. 311 South Wacker Drive – 961 feet (293 m)
The 9th tallest building in Chicago is the post-modern style, 311 South Wacker Drive, which has 65 stories. At a point in history, 311 South Wacker Drive was the tallest reinforced building in the world. Currently, the building stands at a height of 961 feet (293 m).
The building also held the record for being the tallest building in the world that is known only by its street name. The building lost the record to 432 Park Avenue in NewYork, which holds the record from 2015.
One of the most unique features of 311 South Wacker Drive is the top crown of the building. It is a translucent cylinder that is surrounded by four small pillars. The idea for the crown on top of the building was inspired by the Tribune Tower.
The construction of 311 South Wacker Drive started in 1988 and it took only around two years to complete the construction. The architectural firms associated with the construction of the towers were Kohn Pedersen Fox and HKS.
The building has 65 stories and the majority of the space in the building is being used as an office. J. A. Jones Construction was the main contractor of the building and the Harbour Contractors served as the construction manager for the building.
8. One Chicago East Tower – 973 feet (296 m)
The One Chicago East Tower is a part of the One Chicago complex which is actually made up of two different towers -The West Tower and the East Tower. While the West tower is only 574 feet high, the East Tower which stands at a height of 973 feet is the eighth tallest building in Chicago.
The One Chicago East Tower is located on West Chicago Avenue in the city. The construction of the building started in 2019 and was completed in 2022.
The building consists of 78 stories and the space is of varied uses. While the tower is used for different purposes, the primary aim is residential and there are 812 residential units in the East Tower.
There are two different architectural firms that are involved in the construction of the tower. They are the Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture firm and the Goettsch Partners. The site at which the One Chicago Tower stands is owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.
The building was originally named One Chicago Square and it was later renamed to Once Chicago so that it would connect better with the building’s address. The West and East Towers of the building are connected by a central podium.
7. Two Prudential Plaza – 995 feet (303 m)
Located in the Loop area of Chicago, the Two Prudential Plaza is the seventh tallest building in Chicago. Standing at a height of 995 feet, the Two Prudential Plaza is currently the 28th tallest building in the United States.
The building started its construction in 1988 and was completed in 1990. Like the One Chicago Towers, the Two Prudential Plaza is also attached to another building – the One Prudential Plaza.
The One Prudential Plaza was structured and completed in 1955 and currently is being used as the headquarters of Prudential’s Mid-America Company. It also is the first skyscraper built in the United States after the Great Depression of the 1930s.
The Two Prudential Plaza is a 64-story building and rather than being used for residential purposes, the building gives prominence to commercial uses.
Currently, the Two Prudential Plaza is home to different offices. The Consulate General of Canada in Chicago is also located in the building, which explains the Canadian flag next to the American flag in the building’s Lake Street Plaza.
The building also is an office for different media firms. The Chicago Tribune and tronc, Inc also have their main offices in Two Prudential Plaza, and the ninth to the twelfth floor of the building is occupied by Audacy including WBMX, WXRT, WUSN, WBBM, WBBM-FM, WCFS, and so on.
Interestingly, the Plaza is featured in the hit 1994 movie Riche Rich as the Rich Industries Inc.
6. Franklin Center – 1,033 feet (315 m)
Formerly known as the AT&T Corporate Center, the Franklin Center is a 1,033 feet tall building that stands in the Loop neighborhood of downtown Chicago. The Franklin Center started its construction in 1981 and the building was completed almost four years after, in 1985.
After the building was completed, it held the record for being the tallest building in Chicago during the last quarter of the 20th century.
Standing with its head held high, the Franklin Center is currently the sixth tallest building in Chicago and the 23rd tallest building in all of America.
One of the most recognizable and iconic buildings in Chicago, the Franklin Tower was designed by Adrian D. Smith, and the main contractor of the building was Mayfair Construction/Blount International.
As the building houses some of the biggest business firms in the world, the Franklin Center is one of the tallest business hubs in Chicago too.
The building has tenants like Amazon, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, HSBC, FTI Consulting, John Crane Group, General American Transportation Corporation, and many more such companies. In 1997, the building was awarded the Most Valuable Property National Top Ten from The Wall Street Journal.
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5. 875 North Michigan Avenue – 1,127 feet (346 m)
Earlier known as the John Hancock Center, the building was officially renamed 875 North Michigan Avenue in 2018. The building stands at a whopping 100 stories and is 1,128 feet high. The tower’s construction began in 1965 and was completed in 1969.
After the completion of 875 North Michigan Avenue, the building enjoyed the status of being the second tallest building, falling behind the Empire State Building.
During that time, 875 Michigan Avenue was the tallest building in Chicago. Currently, it is the thirteenth tallest building in the United States and secured the fifth spot in the list of tallest buildings in Chicago.
The designers of 875 Michigan Avenue were Bruce Graham and Fazlur Rahman Khan. The building’s construction was managed by Tishman Constructions, the company famous for the construction of the original World Trade Center building in New York.
During the time of completion, 875 Micha Avenue also held the record for having the world’s highest residence.
Even though there are residents in the building today, the primary tenants of the building include mainly offices. There are also several restaurants in the building and also around 700 condominiums.
4. Aoan Center – 1,136 feet (346 m)
During the time of its completion, the Aon Center held the record for being the tallest building in Chicago. The record did not last for a long time and it was surpassed by Sears Tower.
The Aoan Center is a supertall structure and is located in the Chicago Loop, which is the central business district of the city. The Aon Center is a modern skyscraper and it stands at a height of 1,136 feet (346 m).
During the time of its completion, the Aeon Center was the fourth tallest building in the world. Rather than being used for residential purposes, the Aon Centre is also a major business-oriented building.
The construction of the Aeon Center started in 1970 and it was completed almost three years after, in 1973. One of the major construction companies in the United States, Turner Construction was the major contractor for the building.
The design of the building was completed in partnership with two different architectural firms namely Edward Durell Stone and Perkins and Will.
The 83-storeyed building was constructed as the headquarters for the Standard Oil Company of Indiana and the building also was recognized as the world’s tallest marble-clad building.
3. St. Regis Chicago – 1,198 feet (363 m)
Finally, we are in the top three positions on the list of the top ten tallest buildings in Chicago. The third tallest building in Chicago is St. Regis Chicago. The tower was earlier known as the Wanda Vista Tower and it has 101 stories.
The building stands at a height of 1,198 feet and it is relatively a new building that was built around the 2016 – 2020 time period. The construction of the building started in 2016 and it took almost four years to complete the construction.
The building was completed in 2020 and finished construction, the St Regis Chicago took over the Aon Center as the third tallest building in the city.
The designer behind the St Regis Chicago building is Jeanne Gang, along with her architectural firm Studio Gang Architects. The building also holds the reputation as one of the tallest buildings designed by a woman in the world. The design of St Regis Chicago is a very unique one.
The whole building structure consists of three interconnected towers called stems. These three stems have different heights and form a step-like structure that gives the building its unique shape.
The original intention of the building was to house the Wanda Vista luxury hotel brand.
With the aim of operating its first hotel in North America, St Regis Chicago has around 393 condominium residences and around 191 hotel rooms, of which 33 of them are suite rooms. The main contractor of the building was McHugh Constructions.
2. Trump International Hotel and Tower – 1,388 feet (423 m)
The second tallest building in Chicago is the Trump International Hotel and Tower. The building which was named for former president Donald Trump started its construction in March 2005 and was completed in January 2009. It is a 100-story building and stands at a height of 1,388 feet (423.3 m).
The plans for the building were announced way back in 2001 by Donald Trump. In his announcement, Trump stated that the building was built to break the record of the highest building in the world.
But the September 11 attack made him and the planners rethink their original plan and the building went through different changes in its plan.
Built as a hotel complex, the majority of space in the building is being utilized for that. There are almost 339 hotel rooms in the building which also include different restaurants too.
The Trump International Hotel and Tower is the epitome of luxury. The building holds some of the best services available in Chicago in terms of hospitality.
The building includes one of the four-star restaurants in the city and also includes one of the three four-star spas in the city. The hotel in itself is one of two of our star hotels in Chicago.
The Trump International Hotel and Tower have also made significant marks in popular culture by being a part of different movies and television shows like Transformers: Dark of the Moon, The Dark Knight, Build It Bigger, and so on.
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1. Willis Tower – 1,451 feet (442 m)
And here is the name that you had been looking for -The tallest structure in the Chicago skyline – The Willis Tower, which was originally named the Sears Tower, is the tallest building in Chicago.
Located in the Loop community area of Chicago, the building is 1,451 feet high. The construction of the tower started more than fifty years back in 1970 and was completed in 1974.
The tallest building in Chicago is owned by Blackstone Group, which is an American alternative investment management company that is based in New York. When the building was completed and opened to the public, it was the tallest building in the world.
Willis Tower held on to the title for almost 25 years. Currently, it is the 23rd tallest building in the world and the third tallest building in the Western hemisphere.
At the time of its construction and almost 25 years after completing the construction, the Willis Tower remained the tallest building in the world.
The task of designing the then-tallest building was entrusted to architects like Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Fazlur Rahman Khan, and Brue Graham. The construction works of the building were done by Morse Diesel International.
Apart from the title of being one of the tallest buildings in the world and the tallest building in Chicago, there are several features that set the Willis Tower apart from the rest of the buildings.
One of the striking features of the building is the Skydeck observation deck located on one of the top floors of the building. It is also one of the major tourist attractions in Chicago.
Conclusion
The buildings of a city have a very important role to play in its development. Rather than serving as a means of shelter, the well-built buildings of a city also speak of its development and economic state.
There are many unique buildings in the world that are popular for their peculiar qualities like shape, height, and even the use of the material in their building. Here, the tallest buildings in Chicago are also a very strong part of the city’s growth, its history and also hold financial and socio-cultural importance.
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