Scaling the Heights: Exploring the 10 Tallest Buildings in Chicago

It’s safe to say, the skyscraper was invented in Chicago. About 1,397 high-rise buildings have been erected in Chicago, the third-largest city in the US, 56 of which are above 600 feet (183 m) tall.

According to standard height measurement, this list of tallest buildings in Chicago counts finished Chicago skyscrapers that are at least 550 feet (168 meters) tall. Outside of Chicago’s downtown, no buildings in Illinois rise higher than that. 

Antenna masts are not included at this height, but spires and other architectural features are. 

These are the top ten tallest buildings in Chicago.

Willis Tower(formerly known as Sears Tower), 110 floors, 1,451 ft (442.3 m)

In the Loop neighbourhood of Chicago, Illinois, the United States, stands the 110-story, 1,451-foot (442.3 m) tall Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower.

It was created by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)’s architect Bruce Graham and engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan. When it opened in 1973, it was the highest structure in the world, a record it held for almost 25 years.

One of Chicago’s most well-liked tourist spots, the Skydeck observation deck receives more than 1.7 million visitors annually and is the highest in the country. Although the skyscraper’s owners count the main roof as 109 and the mechanical penthouse roof as 110, the tower has 108 stories according to conventional counting procedures.

Trump International Hotel and Tower, 100 floors, 1,388 feet (423.2 m)

In the heart of Chicago, Illinois, there is a condo hotel called The Trump International Hotel and Tower. The structure, which bears the name Donald Trump, was created by Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill architect Adrian Smith.

The 100-story building was erected by Bovis Lend Lease, and its roof rises to a height of 1,171 feet (357 meters), or 1,388 feet (423.2 m) when including the spire. It lies close to the Chicago River’s major branch and offers views of Lake Michigan’s entrance beyond several river bridges.

The structure gained notoriety when Bill Rancic, the winner of the first season of the reality television series The Apprentice, decided to oversee the tower’s construction rather than the management of the Los Angeles metro area’s “Trump National Golf Course & Resort” in Rancho Palos Verdes.

St. Regis Chicago, 101 floors, 1,198-foot (365 m) 

A 101-story, 1,198-foot (365 m) supertall skyscraper, St. Regis Chicago, originally known as Wanda Vista Tower, is located in Chicago, Illinois. In August 2016, work on the project began, and it was finished in 2020.

When it was finished, it surpassed the Aon Centre to become the third-tallest structure in the city at 1,198 feet (365 meters).

It is the world’s highest building that a woman designed. It is a part of the Lakeshore East neighbourhood and has a view of the Chicago River close to Lake Michigan.

Three interconnected towers, or “stems,” with various heights arranged in a step-like fashion make up the building. Each tower has an undulating aspect due to the “frustums,” or alternately shaped truncated pyramidal stems. Alternating patterns of different glass colours also emphasize this effect.

Aon Center, 83 floors, 1,136 feet (346 m)

The Aon Centre is a modern, incredibly tall skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois. It was once known as the Amoco Building and is located at 200 East Randolph Street.

It was built in 1974 as the Standard Oil Building by the architectural firms Edward Durell Stone and The Perkins and Will partnership.

It is the fourth-tallest skyscraper in Chicago, behind the Willis Tower, Trump International Hotel & Tower, and St Regis Chicago, with 83 floors and a height of 1,136 feet (346 m).

The building briefly held the title of Chicago’s tallest structure, but the Sears Tower (now known as the Willis Tower) quickly overtook it. At the time of its completion, the Aon skyscraper was the fourth-tallest in the world.

875 North Michigan Avenue, 100 floors, 1,128 feet (343.5 m)

A 100-story, 1,128-foot supertall skyscraper called The John Hancock Centre can be seen in Chicago, Illinois. The building, which is situated near the Magnificent Mile, received its new name 875 North Michigan Avenue in 2018.

Architects of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM), Bruce Graham, a Peruvian-American, and Fazlur Rahman Khan, a structural engineer from Bangladesh, collaborated on the design of the tower.

Following the Empire State Building in height, the structure reached its peak on May 6, 1968, and it was the tallest structure in Chicago.

This building, which at the time of its construction held the tallest dwelling in the world, has about 700 homes, various offices, and restaurants.

Franklin Center, 60 floors, 1,007 ft (307 m) 

The American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T) merged its central region offices in the 60-story supertall skyscraper known as The Franklin Centre, which was completed in 1989. It is located in Chicago’s Loop neighbourhood, rising 1,007 feet (307 meters) tall and measuring 1.7 million square feet (160,000 m2).

It is located in downtown Chicago’s Loop neighbourhood, rising 1,007 feet (307 meters) tall and measuring 1.7 million square feet (160,000 m2). 

The supertall building is the tallest structure to be built in Chicago during the final twenty-four years of the 20^th century. The building is the 23^rd tallest in the country and the sixth tallest in Chicago. Along with a 350-spot garage, it has an office and retail space.

Two Prudential Plaza,64 floors, 995 feet (303 m)

In the Loop neighbourhood of Chicago, Illinois, there is a 64-story skyscraper called Two Prudential Plaza. It is the 28^th tallest building in the United States and the seventh highest in Chicago as of 2022. At 995 feet (303 m), it is the closest skyscraper under 1,000 feet to 1,000 feet in height.

The structure was created by the company Loebl Schlossman & Hackl in 1990, with Stephen T. Wright serving as the lead designer. Eight honours have been given to it, including the Best Structure Award from the Illinois Structural Engineers Association in 1995.

Its unusual form includes an 80-foot (24 m) spire, a 45-degree-rotated pyramidal summit, and stacked chevron setbacks on the north and south sides.

One Chicago East Tower, 78 floors, 971ft (295.8 m)

A skyscraper named One Chicago, originally known as One Chicago Square, is located in Chicago’s River North neighbourhood. It is one of Chicago’s highest structures at 971 feet.

The buildings were created by Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture and Goettsch Partners. A podium in the middle of the complex connects two skyscrapers.

Although a final height was established and a spire may have been added to the design, the taller of the two towers was planned to be the eighth-tallest building in Chicago after it was finished with 78 floors.

311 South Wacker Drive, 65 floors, 961 feet (293 m)

The post-modern, 65-story 311 South Wacker Drive skyscraper was built in 1990 and is situated in Chicago, Illinois. It is the ninth-tallest skyscraper in Chicago and the 36^th-tallest in the entire country, standing at 961 feet (293 m) tall. 

At one time, it was the highest structure made of reinforced concrete. Before 432 Park Avenue in New York surpassed its height in 2015, 311 South Wacker was also the highest structure in the world that could be identified only by its street address.

NEMA Chicago, 81 floors, 896 feet (273.1 m) 

NEMA (Chicago) is an 81-story residential skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois, in the Central Station neighbourhood on the Near South Side. It is also known as 1210 South Indiana and was formerly known as 113 East Roosevelt or One Grant Park.

It is the city’s tallest rental apartment block, rising 896 feet (273.1 m) and housing 800 flats. The skyscraper was constructed by Crescent Heights.

The NEMA Tower in Chicago is made out of three stacked sections: a base that fills the site, a square middle piece with what appears to be a large staircase extending from it on the southern side, and an upper component with numerous indentations. Even though the structural systems of the two buildings are very different when combined, these pieces resemble Willis.

Conclusion 

These are the top ten skyscrapers in Chicago. The Trump International Hotel and Tower, St. Regis Chicago, NEMA Chicago, and Aqua are just a few of the brand-new buildings that were built in the city during the 2000s and 2010s.

As of January 2021, 19 skyscrapers had been proposed or were being built, including Tribune Tower East, One Chicago Square, 1000M, and the Bank of America Tower. One Chicago Square will be the second-tallest structure in the city once it’s completed.