The Windy City

Chicago architecture

The world's first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building, was constructed here in 1884 using a revolutionary steel frame. Today, Chicago is a global center for architecture and jazz, famous for its deep-dish pizza and its stunning lakefront parks along Lake Michigan.

16Landmarks
1888Oldest · The Rookery
442 mTallest · Willis Tower
14Architects

Willis Tower
Apple Michigan Avenue
Tribune Tower

Before you go

Fly intoO'Hare Int'l (ORD)
O'Hare is famous for its mesmerizing 744-foot neon light installation, titled 'Sky's the Limit,' located in the underground walkway between Concourses B and C. It serves as a massive United and American Airlines hub, connecting travelers to nearly every continent on the globe.
CurrencyUS Dollar ($)
LanguageEnglish
The local dialect features a flat, broad vowel shift that is instantly recognizable across the Midwest. Phrases like 'Da Bears' have become iconic, and the city’s residents are known for a 'straight-talk' communication style that is both blunt and incredibly hearty.
Getting aroundThe 'L'
The 'L' stands for elevated and is one of the few subway systems in the world operating 24/7. Metra commuter trains serve the wider suburban region from several historic downtown terminals. Pace buses complement the rail lines by providing essential transit throughout the surrounding counties.

Recorded in the app

Fly the Chicago tour

Press play on the guided tour and Stamped! flies you over Chicago in photoreal 3D, past the Carbide and Carbon Building, the Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower and the St. Regis, with a card and a Look Around preview at every stop.

16 landmarks in Chicago

Photo: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Willis Tower

233 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606

Formerly the Sears Tower, this was the tallest building in the world for 25 years. It utilizes a revolutionary bundled tube structural system composed of nine framed tubes. This design provides immense strength against the powerful Windy City gusts. The 103rd-floor Skydeck features The Ledge, which consists of glass balconies extending four feet out. These transparent boxes offer visitors a thrilling straight-down view of the city streets below.

Built
1974
Architect
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Style
International Style
Height
442 m (1,450 ft)
Stories
110
Today
Office / Observation
Photo: Howard Lifshitz, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Apple Michigan Avenue

401 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

This store is a masterclass in transparency located where the Chicago River meets North Michigan Avenue. The structure features 32-foot glass walls that blur the line between the interior and the riverwalk. Its ultra-thin carbon-fiber roof is famously shaped to resemble a MacBook laptop. The interior granite seating mimics the Spanish Steps and functions as a public town square. It serves as a modern community hub for both tech enthusiasts and local pedestrians.

Built
2017
Architect
Foster + Partners
Style
Neo-Futurism / Minimalist
Height
10 m (33 ft)
Stories
2
Today
Retail / Public Space
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tribune Tower

435 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

This neo-Gothic masterpiece was born from a famous 1922 international design competition. Its most unique feature is the fragment wall at the base of the building. This wall contains actual stones from 149 world landmarks including the Great Pyramid. The ornate crown is inspired by the Butter Tower of Rouen Cathedral in France. Flying buttresses at the top make it one of the most recognizable silhouettes in Chicago.

Built
1925
Architect
Howells & Hood
Style
Neo-Gothic
Height
141 m (463 ft)
Stories
34
Today
Luxury Residential
Photo: Chris Rycroft from Madison, Wisconsin, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

875 North Michigan

875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

Formerly the John Hancock Center, this building is a world icon of structural expressionism. Its massive X-bracing on the exterior is a functional skeleton that provides necessary stability. This tapered design allows the building to reach great heights while using less steel. It remains a permanent fixture of the skyline and houses the fastest elevators in North America. The tower offers a mix of office and residential spaces with spectacular lake views.

Built
1969
Architect
Bruce Graham (SOM)
Style
Structural Expressionism
Height
344 m (1,129 ft)
Stories
100
Today
Office / Residential / Observation
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Marina City

300 N State St, Chicago, IL 60654

These twin cylindrical towers are known locally as the Corn Cobs due to their unique shape. They were the first high-rise residential buildings in the United States to use tower cranes. The design features a continuous spiral parking ramp that occupies the first 19 floors. Semicircular balconies provide every residential unit with an expansive outdoor view of the river. The complex was originally designed as a city within a city to encourage urban living.

Built
1968
Architect
Bertrand Goldberg
Style
Brutalist
Height
179 m (587 ft)
Stories
65
Today
Residential/Commercial
St. Regis Chicago

363 E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60601

This is currently the tallest building in the world designed by a female architect. The structure is composed of three interconnected towers with a unique undulating frustum shape. This rhythmic tapering is a functional choice that helps dissipate heavy wind pressure. A special blow-through floor on the 83rd story prevents the tower from swaying excessively. It stands as a contemporary marvel overlooking the intersection of the river and Lake Michigan.

Built
2020
Architect
Jeanne Gang (Studio Gang)
Style
Contemporary
Height
363 m (1,191 ft)
Stories
101
Today
Luxury Residential / Hotel
Photo: Marlene Calderon, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Rookery

209 S LaSalle St, Chicago, IL 60604

The Rookery is one of Chicago's oldest high-rises, featuring a heavy Romanesque exterior. While the outside is made of red brick and granite, the inner court is a glass masterpiece. Frank Lloyd Wright was commissioned in 1905 to redesign the magnificent light-filled lobby. He added white marble and gold leaf accents to transform it into a temple of commerce. It remains a prime example of the transition from load-bearing walls to steel frames.

Built
1888
Architect
Burnham & Root
Style
Chicago School / Romanesque
Height
55 m (180 ft)
Stories
11
Today
Office / Events
Photo: Potro, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Aqua Tower

225 N Columbus Dr, Chicago, IL 60601

This building is famous for undulating concrete balconies that resemble ripples on water. Each floor features a slightly different balcony shape to give residents unique city views. These varying extensions also serve to break up wind gusts to protect pedestrians below. It is a world-renowned landmark of topographic architecture and sustainable urban design. This was the first major skyscraper designed by the acclaimed architect Jeanne Gang.

Built
2009
Architect
Jeanne Gang (Studio Gang)
Style
Contemporary
Height
262 m (860 ft)
Stories
82
Today
Residential / Hotel / Office
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Carson Pirie Scott Building

1 S State St, Chicago, IL 60603

This structure is a Chicago School masterpiece designed by the legendary Louis Sullivan. It is celebrated for its revolutionary large Chicago windows that maximize natural light. The street-level entrance features incredibly intricate cast-iron ornamentation with organic motifs. Sullivan used these leafy designs to draw customers into the grand department store. It stands as a perfect realization of his famous philosophy that form follows function.

Built
1899
Architect
Louis Sullivan
Style
Chicago School
Height
60 m (197 ft)
Stories
12
Today
Retail / Office
Photo: User:JeremyA, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Merchandise Mart

222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago, IL 60654

When this building first opened, it was the largest in the world by floor area. It was so massive that the government originally granted it its own zip code. The Art Deco styling features heavy stone towers and dramatic architectural setbacks. Every night, the river-facing facade becomes a 2.5-acre digital art canvas for public viewing. This projection system, known as Art on the MART, is the largest of its kind.

Built
1930
Architect
Graham, Anderson, Probst & White
Style
Art Deco
Height
104 m (341 ft)
Stories
25
Today
Tech Hub / Showrooms
Photo: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Auditorium Building

430 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605

This complex was a marvel of its era, combining a theater, hotel, and offices. The auditorium was the first of its kind to be fully electrified and climate-controlled. Louis Sullivan's golden ornamentation creates a breathtaking visual experience inside the theater space. Due to its massive weight, the building required a specialized floating foundation. Today, it serves as a central part of Roosevelt University while hosting world-class performances.

Built
1889
Architect
Adler & Sullivan
Style
Romanesque Revival
Height
82 m (269 ft)
Stories
17
Today
Roosevelt University / Theater
Photo: Joe Ravi (Shutterstock iStock Dreamstime), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Chicago Board of Trade Building

141 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604

This Art Deco sentinel stands prominently at the end of the LaSalle Street canyon. A three-story aluminum statue of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, crowns the roof. Limestone carvings of bulls and wheat decorate the exterior to reflect its trading history. The grand three-story lobby is a masterpiece featuring marble floors and nickel-plated trim. It remains a global hub for commodity trading and a symbol of Chicago's financial power.

Built
1930
Architect
Holabird & Root
Style
Art Deco
Height
184 m (604 ft)
Stories
44
Today
Office / Exchange
Photo: daryl_mitchell from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Wrigley Building

400 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

This gleaming white landmark serves as the gateway to the famous Magnificent Mile. Its design was inspired by the Giralda tower of the Seville Cathedral in Spain. The facade is clad in 250,000 pieces of glazed terra cotta in six shades of white. These tiles are still hand-washed today to maintain their brilliant, glowing appearance. A massive clock tower sits atop the building and is beautifully illuminated every single night.

Built
1924
Architect
Graham, Anderson, Probst & White
Style
Spanish Colonial Revival / French Renaissance
Height
130 m (427 ft)
Stories
30
Today
Office / Retail
Photo: Arturo Duarte Jr., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

S.R. Crown Hall (IIT)

3360 S State St, Chicago, IL 60616

Widely considered a masterpiece of Mies van der Rohe, this building is a temple of Modernism. It features a revolutionary column-free space created by an exterior suspended roof. This glass-and-steel structure perfectly embodies the architect's famous less is more philosophy. The transparent environment provides a flexible workspace for the College of Architecture. It stands as a defining example of the International Style in the United States.

Built
1956
Architect
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Style
Modernist / International Style
Height
11 m (36 ft)
Stories
1
Today
College of Architecture
Photo: MusikAnimal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Carbide & Carbon Building

230 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60601

This Art Deco skyscraper was reportedly designed to look like a giant green champagne bottle. The unique exterior is clad in dark green terra cotta and polished black granite. At the very top, the spire is leafed in real 24-karat gold for a luxurious finish. Originally an office for battery inventors, it now serves as a high-end luxury hotel. It remains one of the most colorful and stylish fixtures on Michigan Avenue.

Built
1929
Architect
Burnham Brothers
Style
Art Deco
Height
153 m (502 ft)
Stories
37
Today
Hotel (Pendry Chicago)
Photo: Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Frederick C. Robie House

5757 S Woodlawn Ave, Chicago, IL 60637

This house is the ultimate example of Frank Lloyd Wright's world-famous Prairie Style. The design mimics the flat and horizontal landscape of the American Midwest. It features long cantilevered roof eaves and continuous bands of intricate art glass windows. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, it is a landmark of organic architectural principles. The interior and exterior spaces flow together seamlessly to create a unified living environment.

Built
1910
Architect
Frank Lloyd Wright
Style
Prairie School
Height
9 m (30 ft)
Stories
3
Today
Museum / Historic Site