Chicago’s Skyscraper History
Happy National Skyscraper Day! Did you know that any building that is over 150 meters tall is considered a skyscraper? Once a building is over 300 meters tall it is considered a “supertall” skyscraper. In honor of National Skyscraper Day, Strellis and Field wanted to provide some history and facts about Chicago’s famous skyscrapers. Chicago boasts 141 skyscrapers including seven supertall skyscrapers. Chicago is also home to the first modern skyscraper that dates back to 1885 when the definition of a skyscraper referred to buildings that had 10-20 floors.
After the Chicago Fire in 1871 that burned down much of the city, a boom of new construction and new building techniques erupted in Chicago. As the city started to rebuild, builders poured into Chicago for the opportunity to build newer, stronger, and taller buildings. This ushered in the steel-frame “Skyscraper Era” and led to Chicago becoming the home for the first modern skyscraper in the world. The Home Insurance Building which was built in 1885 on the corner of Adams and LaSalle became the first steel-frame skyscraper at 138 feet tall. The use of steel frames in buildings was revolutionary as it provided much more stability that allowed for buildings to be built taller but with less weight.
New York did not have a modern skyscraper until 1889. At this same time, Chicago was already home to five steel-frame skyscrapers. Today, Chicago is known for its unique and impressive skyline. Chicago’s tallest skyscraper, the Willis (Sears) Tower was built in 1974 and became the world’s tallest building upon completion.
The Willis (Sears) Tower held the title of the tallest building in the world from 1974 until 1988. Buildings are ranked by their architectural height. Today, the Willis Tower, with an architectural height of 1,451 feet, it is the 23rd tallest building in the world. It is also the fourth tallest in the United States. The Willis Tower’s architectural height does not include the antenna towers on top of the building, but if they were included, the height would be 1,729 feet which would make it the 2nd tallest building in the United States.
Next time you are near the downtown Chicago area, take some time to look at all of the impressive Chicago skyscrapers! If you are interested in reading more Strellis and Field tips and informational blogs you can find them here.
