Onterie Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Onterie Center |
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| General information | |
| Type | Residential |
| Location | 441 East Erie Street, Chicago, Illinois |
| Coordinates | 41°53′38″N 87°36′59″W / 41.8939°N 87.6165°W |
| Completed | 1986 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 570 ft (170 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 60 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Fazlur Rahman Khan (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill) |
The Onterie Center is a super tall building in downtown Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It has 60 floors and is a famous part of the city's skyline. The building is located at 441 East Erie Street. Its name comes from two nearby streets: "Ontario" and "Erie."
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Discovering the Onterie Center
This amazing building was finished in 1986. It was designed by a company called Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The Onterie Center is actually made of two parts. There's a main tower that is 60 stories tall. There's also a smaller, auxiliary tower that is 11 stories tall. The main tower stands at 570 feet (about 174 meters) high. This makes it one of the tallest buildings in Chicago.
A Special Design Story
The Onterie Center is very important in the world of architecture. It is known as the "final work" of a brilliant engineer named Fazlur Rahman Khan. He was a Bangladeshi-American structural engineer. Even though he passed away before the building was finished, its unique design is a tribute to him.
The building's outside has a cool pattern of X-shapes. These aren't just for looks! They are actually strong concrete panels. They work together to form a special kind of structure called a "truss tube." This means there are no big steel beams hidden behind them. This design helps the building stand strong.
First of Its Kind
The Onterie Center was the first concrete skyscraper in the world to use "diagonal shearwalls" on its outside. Imagine giant diagonal walls that help the building resist strong winds and earthquakes. This smart design uses fewer columns inside. It also allows for unique apartment layouts. In 1986, this building won the Best Structure Award from the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois. This shows how special its design truly is.
What's Inside the Onterie Center?
The Onterie Center is home to many people and businesses. It has 594 apartments where people live. But that's not all!
- It also has over 140,000 square feet (about 13,000 square meters) of office space.
- There are nearly 16,000 square feet (about 1,500 square meters) of shops on the ground floor.
- You can find a health club inside, which is about 11,750 square feet (about 1,100 square meters). It even has an indoor swimming pool!
- The building also includes a parking garage with 363 spaces. This garage is built above the ground.
