330 North Wabash

Infobox Skyscraper
building_name= 330 North Wabash


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constructed= 1973
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architect= Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
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owner= Prime Group Realty Trust:"For the IBM Plaza in Kansas City see: 2345 Grand"

330 North Wabash (formerly IBM Plaza also known as IBM Building) is a skyscraper in downtown Chicago, Illinois, at 330 N. Wabash Avenue, designed by famed architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (who died in 1969 before construction began). A small bust of the architect by sculptor Marino Marini is displayed in the lobby. The 52-story building is situated on a plaza overlooking the Chicago River. At 695 feet, 330 North Wabash is the second-tallest building by Mies van der Rohe, the tallest being the Toronto-Dominion Bank Tower at Toronto-Dominion Centre. It was his last American building. [cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0505110194may11,0,1372525.story|title=Another perspective: views around the worksites|accessdate=2008-05-09|date=2005-05-11|publisher=Chicago Tribune|author=Kamin, Blair]

Like Chicago's Sears Tower, the building's corporate namesake no longer owns nor has offices in the building. IBM sold IBM Plaza to the Blackstone Group in 1996. IBM all but completed its move out of IBM Plaza as of early 2006, taking up space in the new Hyatt Center building closer to Union Station. Prominent law firm Jenner & Block is also vacating the building in favor of 350 North Clark Street. Trump's building will block IBM Plaza's views of Lake Michigan to the east, and the law firm occupies many of the top floors.

IBM Plaza has several design features that are rare in an office building but understandable given its original owner. The building's electrical system, environmental system, floor strength, and ceiling height (on certain floors) can support large "raised floor" computing centers. Also, the "banked" intelligent elevator system is a model of efficiency and rarely keeps anyone waiting for service. IBM Plaza stayed dry during the 1992 Chicago Flood.

Notable tenants as of 2006 include the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and several smaller law firms. However, with the departure of IBM and Jenner & Block, IBM Plaza could be over 50% vacant. Prime Group Realty Trust, soon to be acquired by Lightstone Group LLC, the building's current owner considered partially converting it to condominiums in 2006 [Alby Gallun. " [http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=18975&rel=1 IBM Building going condo, too?] " Crain's Chicago Business, 1 January 2006.] . Those plans were soon abandoned. In 2007, plans were announced to convert floors two through fourteen of the fifty-two story building into a high-end hotel. The building was declared a Chicago Landmark on February 62008.

Position in skyline

Photo gallery

ee also

*List of buildings
*List of skyscrapers
*List of tallest buildings in Chicago
*List of tallest buildings in the United States
*World's tallest structures

External links

* [http://www.330northwabashavenue.com 330 N Wabash building website]
* [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=116749 Emporis.com page]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=330+N+Wabash+Ave,+Chicago,+IL+60611&ie=UTF8&z=16&ll=41.888205,-87.627168&spn=0.01361,0.033131&t=h&om=1&iwloc=addr Google Maps page]

References