Chicago, the third-largest city in the United States, is home to 1,397 completed high-rises,[1] 56 of which stand taller than 600 feet (183 m). The tallest building in the city is the 110-story Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), which rises 1,451 feet (442 m) in the Chicago Loop and was completed in 1974.[2][3] Sears Tower was the tallest building in the world upon its completion, and remained the tallest building in the United States until May 10, 2013.[4] The second, third, and fourth-tallest buildings in Chicago are the Trump International Hotel & Tower, St Regis Chicago, and the Aon Center, respectively. Of the ten tallest buildings in the United States, two are located in Chicago. Of the fifteen tallest buildings in the United States, five are in Chicago. Chicago has the second-tallest skyline in the United States after New York City. Chicago leads the nation in the twenty tallest women-designed towers in the world, thanks to contributions by Jeanne Gang and Natalie de Blois. As of December 2019[update], Chicago had 125 buildings at least 500 feet (152 m) tall.[5]
Chicago is the birthplace of the skyscraper.[6][7] The Home Insurance Building, completed in 1885, is regarded as the world's first skyscraper. This building used the steel-frame method, innovated in Chicago. It was originally built with 10 stories, an enormous height in the 1800s, to a height of 138 feet (42 m). It was later expanded to 12 stories with a height of 180 feet (55 m). The building was demolished in 1931.[8][9] New York City then began building skyscrapers as Chicago had done, and the two cities were virtually the only cities in the world with huge skylines for many decades. Chicago has always played a prominent role in the development of skyscrapers and three past buildings have been the tallest building in the United States. Being the inventor of the skyscraper, Chicago went through a very early high-rise construction boom that lasted from the early 1920s to the late 1930s, during which 9 of the city's 100 tallest buildings were constructed.[5] The city then went through an even larger building boom that has lasted from the early 1960s. The tallest buildings are concentrated in various downtown districts such as the Loop, Streeterville, River North, the South Loop, and the West Loop. Other high-rises extend north along the waterfront into North Side districts such as the Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Uptown and Edgewater. Some high-rises also extend south from downtown along the waterfront to South Side districts such as Kenwood, Hyde Park, and South Shore.
Several new skyscrapers were constructed in the city throughout the 2000s and 2010s, including the Trump International Hotel and Tower, St Regis Chicago, NEMA Chicago, and Aqua. As of January 2021, there were 19 skyscrapers proposed or under construction,[10] including One Chicago Square, 1000M, and Bank of America Tower, as well as Tribune Tower East, an approved skyscraper set to become the city's second-tallest building.
Tallest buildings
This list ranks completed Chicago skyscrapers that stand at least 550 feet (168 m) tall, based on standard height measurement. There are no buildings in Illinois outside of downtown Chicago that exceed that height. This height includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts. An equal sign (=) following a rank indicates the same height between two or more buildings. The "Year" column indicates the year of completion.
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Tallest buildings by pinnacle height
This list ranks Chicago skyscrapers based on their pinnacle height, which includes radio masts and antennas. Standard architectural height measurement, which excludes antennas in building height, is included for comparative purposes. The "Year" column indicates the year in which a building was completed.
| Pinn. Rank | Std. Rank | Name | Pinnacle height ft (m) | Standard height ft (m) | Floors | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Willis Tower | 1,730 (527) | 1,451 (442) | 110 | 1974 | [4] |
| 2 | 5 | 875 North Michigan Avenue | 1,500 (457) | 1,127 (344) | 100 | 1969 | [18] |
| 3 | 2 | Trump International Hotel and Tower | 1,389 (423) | 1,389 (423) | 98 | 2009 | [12] |
| 4 | 3 | St Regis Chicago | 1,198 (365) | 1,198 (365) | 101 | 2020 | [16] |
| 5 | 4 | Aon Center | 1,136 (346) | 1,136 (346) | 83 | 1973 | [16] |
| 6 | 6 | Franklin Center North Tower | 1,007 (307) | 887 (270) | 61 | 1989 | [20] |
| 7 | 7 | Two Prudential Plaza | 995 (303) | 995 (303) | 64 | 1990 | [22] |
| 8 | 8 | 311 South Wacker Drive | 961 (293) | 961 (293) | 65 | 1990 | [26] |
| 9 | 51 | One Prudential Plaza | 912 (278) | 601 (183) | 41 | 1955 | [124] |
| 10 | 9 | NEMA Chicago | 896 (273) | 896 (273) | 76 | 2019 | [27] |
Tallest under construction or proposed
Under construction
This lists buildings that are under construction in Chicago and are planned to rise at least 300 feet (91 m). Buildings whose construction is on-hold are also included. A floor count of 30 stories is used as the cutoff for buildings whose heights have not yet been released by their developers. The "Year" category denotes when the building is expected to be completed.
| Name | Height* ft (m) | Floors* | Year* (est.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400 Lake Shore Drive North Tower | 858 (261) | 72 | 2027 | Approved December 14, 2020 [180][181] |
| 360 North Green Street | 399 (122) | 24 | 2024 | Approved March 2022[182][183] |
| 344 North Canal Street | 375 (114) | 33 | 2024 | Approved May 21, 2020.[184][185][186] |
| 1112 West Carroll Avenue | 370 (113) | 33 | 2024 | Approved September 2021.[187][188] |
| 150 East Ontario Street | 345 (105) | 28 | 2024 | [189] |
| 225 North Elizabeth Street | 314 (96) | 28 | 2024 | [190] |
| 220 N Ada Street | 314 (96) | 28 | 2026 | Approved March 2022[191][192] |
| 868 North Wells Street | 305 (93) | 27 | 2024 | [193] |
Approved and proposed
This lists buildings that are proposed for construction in Chicago and that are planned to rise at least 300 feet (91 m). A floor count of 50 stories is used as the cutoff for buildings whose heights have not yet been released by their developers. The "Year" category denotes when construction of the building is expected to begin.
| Name | Height* ft (m) | Floors* | Year* (est.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tribune East Tower | 1,442 (440) | 113 | 2027 | Approved May 11, 2020.[194] Delayed several times, construction is expected to start in 2024.[195] Would become the second-tallest building in Chicago upon completion.[196][197][198] |
| Lakeshore East I Tower | 950 (289) | 80 | 2022 | [199][200] |
| 113 East Roosevelt (Phase II) | >829 (>253) | 76 | — | Approved November 19, 2015.[201] |
| 400 Lake Shore Drive South Tower | 765 (262) | TBD | — | Approved December 14, 2020 [180][181] |
| 130 North Franklin Street | 700 (214) | 53 | — | Approved August 2015.[202][203][204] |
| Southbank Building A | 598 (182) | 51 | — | [205] |
| 725 West Randolph Street | 550 (187) | TBD | 2022 | Initial design was approved July 19, 2018; revised design is pending approval.[206][207][208] |
| 193 North Columbus Drive | 502 (153) | 47 | 2022 | Formerly known as Lakeshore East Site O.[209][210][211] |
| 222 North Stetson Avenue | TBD | 46 | — | [212][213] |
| 1520-1576 North Fremont Street | 465 (142) | 40 | — | Zoning application filed July 25, 2018.[214][215] |
| Rivere | 455 (139) | 30 | — | Formerly known as 444 North Dearborn Street.[216][217][218] |
| 1565 N Clybourn | 450 (137) | 37 | — | [219] |
| Southbank Building B | 418 (127) | 38 | — | [220] |
| 315 North May Street | 410 (125) | 26 | 2024 | Approved September 2021.[187][188] |
| 322 North Clark Street | 395 (120) | 32 | — | Approved August 2016.[221][222][223] |
| 1130 North State Street | 345 (105) | 30 | 2022 | Approved September 2021.[224][225][226] |
| 12 West Maple Street | 330 (101) | 22 | — | Approved September 19, 2019.[227][228] |
Cancelled
This lists buildings designed to rise at least 800 feet (244 m) that were approved for construction in Chicago but were cancelled prior to completion. This list does not include vision projects such as Gateway Tower or the Miglin-Beitler Skyneedle, nor does it include projects that were not approved by the Chicago Plan Commission such as the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and Residence Tower.
| Name | Height* ft (m) | Floors* | Approved | Cancelled | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 South Dearborn | 2,000 (610) | 112 | 1999 | 2000 | One South Dearborn was built on the site instead.[229][230] |
| Chicago Spire | 2,000 (610) | 150 | 2007 | 2016 | 400 Lake Shore Drive is the current proposal for the site.[231][232] |
| Old Chicago Main Post Office Twin Towers | 2,000 (610) | 120 | 2011 | 2014 | Part of the Old Chicago Main Post Office Redevelopment pursued by Bill Davies.[233] |
| Waterview Tower | 1,047 (319) | 89 | 2005 | 2008 | The original design for Waterview Tower was cancelled after construction of the first 26 floors of the building. OneEleven was built on the vacated structure.[234][235][236] |
Timeline of tallest buildings
| Name | Image | Years as tallest | Height ft (m) | Floors | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Holy Name Cathedral[A] | _p353_CHURCH_OF_THE_HOLY_NAME.jpg) | 1854–1869 | 245 (75) | 1 | [237] |
| Saint Michael's Church |  | 1869–1885 | 290 (88) | 1 | [238] |
| Chicago Board of Trade Building[B] |  | 1885–1895 | 322 (98) | 10 | [239] |
| Masonic Temple Building |  | 1895–1899[C] | 302 (92) | 21 | [240] |
| Montgomery Ward Building[D] | 1899–1922 | 394 (120) | 22 | [241] | |
| Wrigley Building | .jpg) | 1922–1924 | 438 (134) | 30 | [242] |
| Chicago Temple Building | .jpg) | 1924–1930 | 568 (173) | 23 | [243] |
| Chicago Board of Trade Building | .jpg) | 1930–1965 | 605 (184) | 44 | [244] |
| Richard J. Daley Center |  | 1965–1969 | 648 (198) | 32 | [245] |
| Chase Tower (Chicago) |  | 1969 | 850 (260) | 60 | |
| John Hancock Center | .jpg) | 1969–1973 | 1,127 (344) | 100 | [246] |
| Aon Center |  | 1973–1974 | 1,136 (346) | 83 | [16] |
| Willis Tower |  | 1974–present | 1,451 (442) | 108 | [247] |
Honorable mentions
- 530.5 feet (161.7 m) Park Place Tower in Lakeview is the tallest building in Illinois outside of downtown Chicago.
- 513 feet (156 m) Park Tower in Edgewater is the second-tallest building in Illinois outside of downtown Chicago.
- 418 feet (127 m) Oakbrook Terrace Tower in Oakbrook Terrace is the tallest building in Illinois outside of Chicago.
- 395 feet (120 m) Two Pierce Place in Itasca is the second-tallest building in Illinois outside of Chicago.
See also
Notes
- A. ^ This building was destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, and replaced by the current cathedral of the same name in 1875.
- B. ^ The clock tower on this building was removed in 1895, allowing a shorter building to become the tallest in the city.
- C. ^ The Masonic Temple, built in 1892, became the tallest in Chicago three years later when the Board of Trade Building had its clock tower removed.
- D. ^ This building is currently 282 feet (86 m) tall, following the removal of a pyramid top and sculpture.
References
- General
- "Tallest Buildings in Chicago". CTBUH. Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-25.
- Specific
External links
- Diagram of Chicago skyscrapers on SkyscraperPage.com