Chicago Tribune Tower

Chicago Tribune Tower. The Chicago Tribune Tower is a neo-Gothic building located in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and was designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White. It was completed in 1925 and won the Tribune Tower competition, which was held by the Chicago Tribune and judged by Raymond Hood, John Mead Howells, and Thomas Hastings. The building's design was influenced by the Cathedral of Rouen and the Chapel of St. Chapelle in Paris, France, and features a distinctive butterfly shape.

History

The Chicago Tribune Tower was built during the Roaring Twenties, a time of great cultural and economic change in the United States. The building was commissioned by Robert R. McCormick, the publisher of the Chicago Tribune, and was intended to serve as the newspaper's headquarters. The Tribune Tower competition was held in 1922 and attracted entries from some of the most prominent architects of the time, including Walter Gropius, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Eliel Saarinen. The winning design was chosen from among 263 entries and was praised for its innovative use of Gothic architecture and its striking skyscraper design, which was influenced by the Woolworth Building in New York City and the Philadelphia City Hall in Philadelphia. The building's construction was overseen by James Gamble Rogers, a prominent architect who had previously worked on the Yale University campus in New Haven, Connecticut, and was completed in 1925 at a cost of $8.5 million, which was a significant amount at the time, comparable to the cost of building the Empire State Building in New York City or the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

Architecture and design

The Chicago Tribune Tower is a prominent example of neo-Gothic architecture in the United States, and features a distinctive butterfly shape, with a central tower flanked by two smaller wings. The building's design was influenced by the Cathedral of Rouen and the Chapel of St. Chapelle in Paris, France, and features a number of Gothic elements, including ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, and stained glass windows. The building's exterior is clad in Indiana limestone and features a number of carvings and sculptures, including a replica of the Crown of Thorns from the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. The building's design has been praised for its innovative use of Gothic architecture and its striking skyscraper design, which was influenced by the Woolworth Building in New York City and the Philadelphia City Hall in Philadelphia, and has been compared to the works of Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, and Daniel Burnham. The building's interior features a number of notable spaces, including the Tribune Tower lobby, which is decorated with marble and murals, and the Tribune Tower auditorium, which was designed by Rapp and Rapp and features a Wurlitzer organ.

Construction and engineering

The Chicago Tribune Tower was constructed using a steel frame and features a number of innovative engineering solutions, including a central elevator core and a perimeter column system. The building's foundation is supported by a series of caissons that extend to a depth of 100 feet (30 m) below ground level, and the building's superstructure is supported by a series of steel beams and girders. The building's exterior is clad in Indiana limestone and features a number of carvings and sculptures, including a replica of the Crown of Thorns from the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. The building's construction was overseen by James Gamble Rogers, a prominent architect who had previously worked on the Yale University campus in New Haven, Connecticut, and was completed in 1925 at a cost of $8.5 million, which was a significant amount at the time, comparable to the cost of building the Empire State Building in New York City or the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The building's engineering solutions were influenced by the works of Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, and Alexander Graham Bell, and have been compared to the engineering solutions used in the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in San Francisco.

Tenants and usage

The Chicago Tribune Tower has been the headquarters of the Chicago Tribune since its completion in 1925, and has also been home to a number of other tenants, including the Tribune Company, WGN-TV, and WGN Radio. The building's lobby and auditorium have been used for a number of events and functions, including press conferences, award ceremonies, and concerts. The building has also been used as a filming location for a number of movies and television shows, including The Dark Knight and ER. The building's observation deck offers panoramic views of the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan, and is a popular tourist attraction. The building has been visited by a number of notable figures, including Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Harry S. Truman, and has been the site of a number of significant events, including the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention.

In popular culture

The Chicago Tribune Tower has been featured in a number of movies and television shows, including The Dark Knight, ER, and The Good Wife. The building has also been used as a filming location for a number of music videos and commercials, and has been featured in a number of video games, including Watch Dogs and Mafia II. The building's iconic design has made it a popular subject for photographers and artists, and it has been featured in a number of books and documentaries, including The Chicago Tribune Tower by Paul Gapp and The Architecture of Chicago by Franz Schulze. The building has also been the subject of a number of parodies and spoofs, including a Saturday Night Live sketch featuring Will Ferrell and Tina Fey. The building's cultural significance has been recognized by a number of organizations, including the American Institute of Architects and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and it has been designated as a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior. The building has also been compared to other notable buildings, including the Empire State Building in New York City, the Willis Tower in Chicago, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.