Chicago River Architecture Tour

Standing at the intersection of the urban grid and the Chicago River, 333 Wacker Drive is a mesmerizing postmodern skyscraper that boasts a striking dual personality. The riverside facade features a sweeping wall of reflective green glass that perfectly mirrors the graceful curve of the water below. On the opposite side, the building is sliced and notched with flat edges to seamlessly honor the rigid, rectangular street grid of the Loop. The tower rests on a monumental base of grey granite with bands of green marble, providing a stately foundation that elevates the shimmering glass above the noisy elevated train tracks. Massive circular air intake grilles set into black granite panels frame the main entrance, transforming functional mechanical elements into grand decorative features.

The Merchandise Mart, now commonly known simply as the MART, is a colossal Art Deco masterpiece anchoring the junction of the north and south branches of the Chicago River. Spanning two entire city blocks, the staggering structure boasts over four million square feet of floor space and features a striking limestone facade adorned with geometric ornamentation. A row of massive bronze busts representing legendary American merchants lines the riverfront plaza, giving the building an imposing, regal presence. Inside, miles of cavernous corridors house luxury design showrooms, tech offices, and retail spaces. By night, the sprawling southern facade transforms into the largest permanent digital art projection canvas in the world, bringing the historic exterior vividly to life with mesmerizing light shows.

The Reid, Murdoch and Co. Building is a striking seven story office building that anchors the north bank of the Chicago River. Designed by architect George C. Nimmons in 1914, the structure perfectly blends the structural honesty of the Chicago School of architecture with elegant industrial design. The facade features rich red brick, detailed terra cotta embellishments, and a massive clock tower that rises prominently from the center of the roofline. It was one of the very first waterfront buildings constructed to conform with the famous 1909 Plan for Chicago, featuring recessed docking facilities at the water level and a pedestrian promenade at street level. Today, its bold brick exterior stands in brilliant contrast to the sleek modern glass skyscrapers that surround it.

Marina City, affectionately known by locals as the corncob towers, is a striking mixed use complex that sits on the north bank of the Chicago River. The twin 65 story cylindrical buildings rise from a large rectangular base and stand out sharply from the typical boxy structures of the skyline. Designed by architect Bertrand Goldberg in a bold expression of midcentury modernism, the towers feature a massive exposed spiral parking garage on their lower levels. Above the parking, scalloped semicircular balconies bloom outward like petals, providing every apartment with a panoramic view of the city. The dense complex was designed as a total urban environment and also houses restaurants, a hotel, an active marina, and a theater, continuing its legacy as a true city within a city.

Standing proudly at the corner of Wacker Drive and Wabash Avenue, the Jewelers' Building is a staggering forty story masterpiece of the nineteen twenties City Beautiful movement. Also known by its address at 35 East Wacker, the tower features a classical facade wrapped in intricately carved terracotta that transitions from gray limestone at the base to a dazzling white crown. The structure is famously capped by a massive central dome, flanked by four ornate corner turrets that give the skyscraper the grand appearance of a secular cathedral or a European palace. Its striking silhouette and classical details provide a magnificent contrast to the sleek modern glass towers that surround it along the Chicago River.

The Carbide and Carbon Building is a stunning Art Deco skyscraper located on Michigan Avenue. The thirty seven story structure is clad in polished black granite at its base, rising into a shimmering body of deep green terra cotta. At its summit, the tower is capped with a brilliant crown adorned in genuine twenty four karat gold leaf. Designed by the Burnham Brothers, the landmark stands as a striking symbol of opulent nineteen twenties architecture. It now houses a luxury hotel, and its extravagant lobby, outfitted in Belgian marble and frosted glass, welcomes guests into an atmosphere of vintage glamour.