- 35 East Wacker
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35 East Wacker 
Former names Pure Oil Building
North American Life Building
Jewelers BuildingGeneral information Type Commercial offices Location 35 E. Wacker Drive
Chicago, IllinoisCoordinates 41°53′11″N 87°37′36″W / 41.8865°N 87.6268°WCoordinates: 41°53′11″N 87°37′36″W / 41.8865°N 87.6268°W Construction started 1925 Completed 1927 Height Roof 159.41 m (523.0 ft) Technical details Floor count 40 Design and construction Main contractor Starrett-Dilks Company Architect Joachim G. Giaver
Frederick P. DinkelbergNorth American Life Insurance BuildingArchitectural style: Art Deco Governing body: Private Part of: Michigan–Wacker Historic District (#78001124) Designated CP: 1978 References [1][2][3][4] 35 East Wacker, also known as the Jewelers' Building,[5] is a 40-story 159 m (522 ft) historic building in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois, located at the intersections of Wabash Avenue, and facing the Chicago River. It was built from 1925 to 1927, and was co-designed by Joachim G. Giaver and Frederick P. Dinkelberg.[6] It was once considered to be the tallest building outside of New York City.[7][8] Formerly the Pure Oil Building and North American Life Insurance Building,[9] 35 East Wacker was listed in 1978 as a contributing property to the Michigan–Wacker Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places, and was designated a Chicago Landmark on February 9, 1994.[10][4][7]
For its first 14 years, the building had parking on the lower 23 floors with a car lift that facilitated safe transfers for jewelry merchants.[5] Currently, the French-American Chamber of Commerce in Chicago is a tenant,[11] and the showroom of architect Helmut Jahn is atop the building inside the dome, which was originally a restaurant.[5] The building is currently being renovated, with the facade being maintained, but the interiors converted into a more modern configuration. Both the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the City of Chicago have recognized the renovation project with awards.[5]
In popular culture
- The building is featured in scenes of the 2005 film Batman Begins.
- The 2011 film Transformers: Dark of the Moon features a climax set atop the building, which is heavily damaged, along with most of Chicago, in the giant robot battle that ensues.[12]
Gallery
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333 North Michigan, 360 North Michigan, Mather Tower and 35 East Wacker
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Wacker Drive entrance.
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Clock on the northeast corner
References
- Notes
- ^ 35 East Wacker at Emporis
- ^ 35 East Wacker at SkyscraperPage
- ^ 35 East Wacker at Structurae
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-01-23. http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/IL/Cook/state6.html. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
- ^ a b c d "The Jewelers' Building" on the 35 East Wacker Drive website. Accessed: 2011-01-30
- ^ Commission on Chicago Landmarks Chicago Landmarks (2008) p.16
- ^ a b "35 East Wacker Building". City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division. 2003. http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/numbers/35EWacker.html. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
- ^ As with many claims of record height, definitions are important, and the claim for 35 East Wacker ignores the Chicago Temple Building's steeple.
- ^ Saliga, Pauline A.; John Zukowsky; Jane H Clarke; (1990). The Sky's The Limit: A Century of Chicago Skyscrapers. New York: Rizzoli International Publications. ISBN 0-8478-1179-4.
- ^ Robert Wagner (1978-02-03). National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Michigan–Wacker Historic DistrictPDF (32 KB). National Park Service.
- ^ "Chicago". SkyTeam. http://www.skyteam.com/go/chicago/business.html. Retrieved 21 November 2010.. Retrieved on January 31, 2009.
- ^ Murphy, Mekado (2011-06-22). "Welcome to Chicago, Just Don’t Kill Us". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/26/movies/frame-from-transformers-dark-of-the-moon.html. Retrieved 2011-07-01.
External links
Media related to 35 East Wacker Drive at Wikimedia Commons- Official website
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Category · 
PortalChicago Landmark skyscrapers National Historic Landmark,
National Register of Historic Places,
Chicago LandmarkNational Register of Historic Places,
Chicago LandmarkChicago Landmark 330 North Wabash · 333 North Michigan · 35 East Wacker · Allerton Hotel · Brooks Building · Bryn Mawr Apartment Hotel · Carbide & Carbon Building · Chicago Building · Civic Opera House · Heyworth Building · Inland Steel Building · London Guarantee Building · Mather Tower · New York Life Insurance Building · Old Dearborn Bank Building · Palmer House · Powhatan Apartments · Pittsfield Building · Richard J. Daley Center · Tribune Tower
See Also Apartments · Culture · Education · Historic Districts · Houses · Memorials and Monuments · Municipal · Skyscrapers · Transportation · WorshipCategories:- Historic district contributing properties
- Skyscrapers in Chicago, Illinois
- Landmarks in Chicago, Illinois
- Buildings and structures completed in 1927
- Skyscrapers between 150 and 199 meters
- Office buildings in Chicago, Illinois
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