Field Building (Chicago) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Field Building |
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| Alternative names | LaSalle National Bank Building Bank of America Building |
| General information | |
| Location | Chicago, Illinois USA |
| Coordinates | 41°52′47″N 87°37′54″W / 41.8798°N 87.6316°W |
| Construction started | 1931 |
| Completed | 1934 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 535 ft (163.1 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 45 total |
| Floor area | 1,200,000 sq ft (110,000 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Graham, Anderson, Probst & White |
| Official name: Field Building | |
| Designated: | February 9, 1994 |
The Field Building is a famous office building in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It's also known as the LaSalle National Bank Building and the Bank of America Building. This tall building has a cool style called Art Deco, which was popular a long time ago. It's located at 135 South LaSalle Street in the heart of Chicago. Because it's so special, it was named a Chicago Landmark on February 9, 1994.
Contents
Building History and Design
The Field Building was finished in 1934. It's a huge skyscraper with 45 floors, standing about 535 feet (163 meters) tall. The famous architects Graham, Anderson, Probst & White designed it. This building was one of the last big office buildings built in Chicago before a long break in construction. This break happened because of the Great Depression and World War II. New buildings didn't start appearing again until 1955.
Cool Features of the Building
The Field Building was very modern for its time. It had new things like super-fast elevators and air conditioning. The main entrance area, called the lobby, has a special walkway. This walkway connects LaSalle Street and Clark Street. People can walk through it to get to shops without going outside. Even the elevator buttons and mailboxes in the lobby look like the outside of the building!
Outside Look
The building starts with a four-story base that covers the whole area. The first floor is covered in shiny black granite. The windows have cool frames made of polished aluminum. They also have black and shiny aluminum panels between them. The main entrances on the east and west sides are also framed in black granite. Five tall, white marble columns stand at the entrances. They separate the spinning doors that lead into the lobby.
The upper parts of the building are covered in light-colored stone. The windows are placed in vertical lines, making the building look even taller. The main tower has 45 stories and is in the middle. Shorter towers, 22 stories tall, stand at each of its four corners.
What Was Here Before?
Before the Field Building was built in 1931, several other buildings stood on this spot. One of them was the world's very first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building. It was built in 1885 and torn down in 1931 to make way for the Field Building.
What the Building is Used For
For many years, a bank called LaSalle Bank used most of the building. Other companies rented the rest of the space. In 2007, LaSalle Bank was sold to Bank of America. Because of this, the building's name changed to the Bank of America Building.
In 2008, Bank of America sold the building to another company called AmTrust. But Bank of America still rents a large part of the building. They plan to move their offices to a new building in 2017. The building has special floors for machines and equipment. The 43rd and 44th floors have fancy dining rooms for the bank's leaders and other important tenants. There's also a cafeteria on a lower level. The ground floor has a Bank of America branch and other shops. The rest of the floors are regular office spaces.
See also
In Spanish: Field Building para niños
