11 Of Chicago’s Most Impressive Buildings

Chicago is one of the most architecturally significant cites on the planet, featuring prominent structures designed in a variety of styles by distinguished architects. With the exception of the historic Water Tower, the majority of the business district was burned down in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which was the impetus for the race to build the most impressive edifices the world had ever seen. The Home Insurance Building (which no longer stands), built in 1885 with a skeleton construction, has been named the world’s first skyscraper.

While it’s difficult to list only 11, here are some of Chicago’s most impressive buildings.

The Art Institute of Chicago

Celebrating Christopher Columbus’ 400^th anniversary of his arrival in North America, the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 placed a spotlight on Chicago’s rebirth from the Great Chicago Fire. The Art Institute of Chicago, designed in the Beaux Arts style and influenced by ancient Greece and Rome, was created for the fair. The museum is home for many important works of art by: Grant Wood, Georges Seurat, Andy Warhol, Edward Hopper, Claude Monet, Archibald John Motley Jr., Georgia O’Keeffe and more.

Fun Fact: Visit the museum virtually and see art throughout the galleries from the comfort of home.

Address: 111 S. Michigan Ave.

Aqua Tower

Completed in 2009, the award-winning Aqua Tower, created by architect Jeanne Gang and her firm Studio Gang, stands out for its wave-like concrete balconies that wrap around the modern-style building with colored glass. Floors one through 18 are part of the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, and residential units extend to floor 81. The building, situated near Lake Michigan, is located in the Lake Shore East neighborhood.

Fun Fact: The Aqua Tower has an earth-friendly rainwater collection system as well as energy-efficient lighting.

Address: 225 N. Columbus Dr.

Apple Michigan Avenue

The elegant and sleek Apple Michigan Avenue building is a stunner with 32-foot glass walls and a rounded roof, built into rows of tiered stairs, allowing for a view of the Chicago River’s north bank. Besides shopping for tech, this building is simply a lovely space to sit and watch the world go by.

Fun Fact: Chicago’s first non-native settler, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, lived on this plot of land.

Address: 401 N. Michigan Ave.

Carbide and Carbon Building

1920’s America is alive and well in the Carbide and Carbon Building, home to the luxurious St. Jane boutique hotel. Art Deco in design, this black granite structure, with dark green and gold terra cotta and gold leaf with bronze trim, resembles a bottle of champagne.

Fun Fact: The genuine 24 karat gold spire cap is continuously lit.

Address: 230 N. Michigan Ave.

Chicago Board of Trade

Perhaps one of the most recognizable Art Deco buildings in America, Chicago Board of Trade, with its faceless statue of Ceres, the Goddess of agriculture, positioned right on top, has been featured in many movies including Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Batman Begins, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and The Dark Knight.

Fun Fact: Eight bovine heads adorn the façade above the original trading floor, representing the livestock trade.

Address: 141 W. Jackson Blvd.

Chicago Cultural Center

A popular destination for weddings and cultural events, the Chicago Cultural Center, operated by Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, was once the city’s first public library. Each year, over 1,000 programs and exhibitions are held here, celebrating performing, visual, and literary arts. Designed in the Beaux Arts style, the two stained-glass domes are positioned symmetrically over two separate wings, creating an imposing atmosphere.

Fun Fact: The masonry on the outer walls is three-feet thick.

Address: 78 E. Washington St.

875 N. Michigan Avenue

The John Hancock Center, a tapered obelisk shape with dominant trusses on each side, is one of the most identifiable buildings in the world. With a Mid-Century Modernism architectural style, this mixed used building, designed by Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, is 1,499 feet-tall. The 360 Chicago Observation Deck offers one of the best views of Chicago.

Fun Fact: The elevators are some of the fastest in the world. You’ll arrive at the observation deck in just 39 seconds.

Address: 875 N. Michigan Ave.

Marina City

Shaped like corn on the cob, the double Marina City towers, are designed with Mid-Century Modernism. Bertrand Goldberg Associates designed Marina City to be an urban living experiment, meant to draw middle-class Chicagoans back into the city from the neighboring suburbs. Residents could easily park their cars or boats, visit the theater, go to the gym, knock down pins in the bowling alley, swim in the pool, and shop without ever leaving their homes.

Fun Fact: The garage floors and balconies are cantilevered.

Address: 300 N. State St.

Merchandise Mart

Completely stating the obvious, the Merchandise Mart is enormous. Designed in the Art Deco style by Graham, Anderson, Probst, and White, this engineering feat of strength occupies four million square-feet of space. When it was finished in 1930, the Merchandise Mart was the largest building in the world.

Fun Fact: The site of the building was originally a Native American trading post.

Address: 222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza

The Rookery

When you step inside The Rookery building’s interior Light Court, designed by Burnham and Root, and Frank Lloyd Wright, you’ll likely hold your breath in awe. Ornate white marble, glass, gold geometric patterns, stunning light fixtures, and large planters create an ethereal environment that invites you to pause. Roman, Venetian, Moorish, and medieval-European architecture inspire The Rookery’s façade. The building has been designated a Chicago Landmark in 1972.

Fun Fact: The interior, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is the architect’s only surviving downtown undertaking.

Address: 209 S. LaSalle ST.

Willis Tower

Many Chicagoans still refer to Wills Tower as Sears Tower, a name that sticks. For a quarter of a century, the Willis Tower was the tallest building in the world, stretching 110 stories into the sky. Today, visitors can step out on The Ledge, a glass box that extends 4.3 feet out from the Skydeck on the 103^rd floor.

Fun Fact: The Willis Tower still has the distinction of having the highest occupied floor in North America.

Address: 233 S. Wacker Dr.