John Hancock Center
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| John Hancock Center | |
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| Information | |
|---|---|
| Location | 875 N. Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois USA |
| Status | Complete |
| Constructed | 1965-1969 |
| Use | mixed use |
| Height | |
| Antenna/Spire | 1,500 ft (457 m) |
| Roof | 1,127 ft (344 m) |
| Top floor | 1,078 ft (329 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 100 |
| Floor area | 2,799,973 ft² (260,126 m²) |
| Elevator count | 50, made by Otis Elevator Company |
| Companies | |
| Architect | Skidmore, Owings and Merrill |
| Contractor | Tishman Construction Co. |
| Developer | John Hancock Insurance |
The John Hancock Center at 875 N. Michigan Ave. in Chicago, Illinois, is a 100-story, 1,127-foot (344 m) tall skyscraper designed by structural engineer Fazlur Khan of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. When completed in 1969, it was the tallest building in the world outside New York City. It is the third-tallest skyscraper in Chicago and the fifth-tallest in the United States, after the Sears Tower, the Empire State Building, the Bank of America Tower and the Aon Center. When measured to the top of its antenna masts, it stands at 1,500 feet (457 m). The building is home to offices and restaurants, as well as about 700 condominiums and contains the highest residences in the world. This skyscraper was named for John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, a developer and original tenant of the building.
The 95th floor has long been home to a restaurant, the latest tenant being "The Signature Room on the 95th Floor." While patrons dine, they can look out at Chicago and Lake Michigan. The Hancock Center's observation facilities (called the Hancock Observatory) compete with the Sears Tower's Skydeck across town. The Hancock Center is in a commercial district, while the Sears Tower is in the financial district. The Hancock Center 94th floor observation deck displays exhibits about the city of Chicago. Maps explain the view in each direction and a special meshed-in area allows the visitors to feel the winds 1,030 feet (314 m) above ground level. The 44th-floor sky lobby features America's highest indoor swimming pool.[1]
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[edit] Design
One of the most famous buildings of the structural expressionist style, the skyscraper's distinctive X-bracing exterior is actually a hint that the structure's skin is indeed part of its 'tubular system'. This idea is one of the architectural techniques the building used to climb to record heights (the tubular system is essentially the spine that helps the building stand upright during wind and earthquake loads). This X-bracing allows for both higher performance from tall structures and the ability to open up the inside floorplan (and usable floor space) if the architect desires. Original features such as the skin have made the John Hancock Center an architectural icon. It was pioneered by Bangladeshi-American structural civil engineer Fazlur Khan.
The interior was remodeled in 1995, adding to the lobby travertine and textured limestone surfaces. The elliptical-shaped plaza outside the building serves as a public oasis with seasonal plantings and a 12-foot (3.7 m) waterfall. A band of white lights at the top of the building is visible all over Chicago at night and changes colors for different holidays.
The building is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers. It also has won various awards for its distinctive style, including the Distinguished Architects 25 Year Award from the American Institute of Architects in May 1999.
[edit] Other facts
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Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (October 2007) |
Including its antennas, the John Hancock Center has a height of 1,500 feet (457 m), making it the fourth-tallest building in the world when measured to pinnacle height (after the Shanghai World Financial Center, Sears Tower and Taipei 101)
The John Hancock Center was erected on the site of Cap Streeter's 19th century steamboat shanty. The area is called Streeterville after him, and consists of landfill reclaimed from the lake.
Construction delays due to a credit crunch in 1967 left the tower truncated briefly as construction was halted.
The building's first resident was Ray Heckla, the original building engineer, responsible for the residential floors from 44-92. Ray and his family moved into a 2 bedroom apartment in April of 1969 before the building was completed.
On November 11, 1981, Veteran's Day, high-rise firefighting and rescue advocate Dan Goodwin, for the purpose of calling attention to the inability to rescue people trapped in the upper floors of skyscrapers, successfully climbed the outside of the John Hancock Center. Wearing a wetsuit and using a climbing device that enabled him to ascend the I-beams on the building's side, Goodwin battled repeated attempts by the Chicago Fire Department to knock him off. Fire Commissioner William Blair directed Chicago firemen to stop Goodwin by directing a fully engaged fire hose at him and to use fire axes on the inside to break nearby window glass. Fearing for Goodwin's life, Mayor Jane Byrne intervened and allowed him to continue to the top.[2][3][4]
On December 18, 1997, comedian Chris Farley was found dead in his apartment on the 60th floor of the John Hancock Center.[5][6]
Jerry Springer, host of The Jerry Springer Show, lives on the 91st floor of the building. Prior to Chris Farley's death, the two lived in adjacent residences.[5]
On March 9, 2002, part of a swing-stage (hanging scaffold for window washing & exterior repairs) fell 43 stories after being torn loose by wind gusts around 60 mph (100 km/h), crushing several cars and killing three people in two of them. The remaining part of the stage swung back-and-forth in the gusts repeatedly slamming against the building, damaging cladding panels, breaking windows, and sending pieces onto the street below.
On December 10, 2006, the non-residential portion of the building was sold by San Francisco based Shorenstein Properties LLC for $385 million and was purchased by Goldman Sachs. Shorenstein had bought the building in 1998 for $220 million.
An annual stair climb race up the 94 floors from the Michigan Avenue level to the observation deck called Hustle up the Hancock is held on the last Sunday of February. The climb benefits the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago. The record time as of 2008 is 9 minutes 38 seconds.
Best Buy has signed an agreement to locate a flagship location along the Magnificent Mile in the Hancock Center.[7]
The Skydeck elevators of the John Hancock center, manufactured by Otis, travel 94 floors at a top speed of 1800 ft/min (Feet Per Minute), or 20.5 MPH.
[edit] Tenants and Businesses
- Accent Chicago
- Aveda
- The Cheesecake Factory
- Elephants, Etc.
- Fingers & Toes Nail Salon
- L'Appetito
- Jamba Juice
- The North Face
- Best Buy (2009)
- The Signature Room at the 95th
[edit] Position in Chicago's skyline
[edit] See also
- Chicago architecture
- List of buildings
- List of skyscrapers
- List of tallest buildings in Chicago
- List of tallest buildings in the United States
- World's tallest structures
- List of tallest freestanding structures in the world
[edit] References
- ^ Emporis.com
- ^ SkyscraperDefense.com
- ^ Headliners Higher and Higher Published: November 15, 1981 New York Times
- ^ "Vintage Footage of Spiderman Scaling the John Hancock Center". YouTube.com. Retrieved on 2008-12-22.
- ^ a b "Chris Farley: Trivia". TV.com. CNET Networks, Inc.. Retrieved on 2008-04-17.
- ^ "Chicago Ghosts". Chicago Hauntings Tours. Retrieved on 2008-04-17.
- ^ "For The Record, Week ended 3.7.08", Crain's Chicago Business, Crain Communications Inc. (2008-03-10).
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: John Hancock Center |
- Web site of the "Hancock Observatory"
- Complete 360-degree spherical panorama from the top of the John Hancock Center
- Emporis listing
- John Hancock Center in the Structurae database
- Entry in greatbuildings.com
- Web site of the "Signature Room" restaurant
- John Hancock Center is at coordinates Coordinates:
| Preceded by Richard J. Daley Center |
Tallest building in Chicago 1969—1972 344 m |
Succeeded by Aon Center (Chicago) |
| Preceded by Prudential Tower |
Tallest building in the United States outside of New York City 1969—1972 344m |
Succeeded by Aon Center (Chicago) |
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