Tribune Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tribune Tower |
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Tribune Tower in June 2013
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| General information | |
| Type | Office |
| Location | 435 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Coordinates | 41°53′25″N 87°37′25″W / 41.8904°N 87.6237°W |
| Construction started | 1923 |
| Completed | 1925 |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 496 feet (151 m) |
| Roof | 463 feet (141 m) |
| Top floor | 428 feet (130 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 36 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood |
| Designated: | February 1, 1989 |
The Tribune Tower is a super tall, 36-story building in Chicago, Illinois. It stands 463 feet (141 meters) high. This amazing building looks like an old European castle, but it's actually a modern skyscraper. It's built in a style called neo-Gothic.
The tower was finished in 1925. It was built for the Chicago Tribune newspaper. Today, it has fancy homes inside. It even won an award in 2023 for keeping its old look while being used in a new way.
For many years, the Tribune newspaper and its related companies worked here. WGN Radio also broadcast from the building until 2018. CNN's Chicago office was once located here too. The Tribune Tower is a special Chicago Landmark.
Contents
History of the Tribune Tower
Designing a Famous Skyscraper
In 1922, the Chicago Tribune newspaper wanted a new home. To celebrate its 75th birthday, it held a big contest. The newspaper offered $100,000 to the architects who could design "the most beautiful office building in the world." This was a huge amount of money back then!
Many architects from all over the world sent in their ideas. Over 260 designs were received. The contest became a very famous event in architecture. It showed many new ideas for how skyscrapers could look.
Who Won the Design Contest?
The winners were John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood. They were architects from New York. Their design looked like a grand, old Gothic cathedral. It had special supports called buttresses near the top.
A Finnish architect named Eliel Saarinen came in second place. Many architects, like Louis Sullivan, thought Saarinen's design was the best. His ideas influenced many skyscrapers built later, including some by Raymond Hood himself.
Other famous architects also sent in designs. These included Walter Gropius and Adolf Loos. Some designs were very unusual, like one with a giant head of an American Indian on top!
Life After Opening Day
In 2006, a museum called the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum opened in the tower. It focused on freedom and the press. However, it closed its physical location in 2009.
Every year since 2011, the Tribune Tower has been part of Open House Chicago. This event lets people explore the inside of many famous buildings for free. It's a great chance to see the tower up close!
New Homes in an Old Building
The Chicago Tribune newspaper moved out of the building in June 2018. This was so the tower could be turned into luxury apartments, also known as condos. This big project cost more than $500 million.
There was a small disagreement about the Chicago Tribune sign on the building. The newspaper said the sign was their property. But the developers said they had agreed to buy it.
The famous office of Robert R. McCormick, the newspaper's former owner, is now being used as offices. There are also plans to build an even taller skyscraper next to the Tribune Tower. It will be called Tribune Tower East.
Architecture of the Tower
The Tribune Tower is a great example of a neo-Gothic skyscraper. This style became popular in the early 1900s. The building was finished in 1925. It stands 462 feet (141 meters) tall.
The fancy buttresses around the top of the tower are very noticeable. They look especially cool when the building is lit up at night.
Art and Details
An American artist named Rene Paul Chambellan created many of the sculptures and decorations. Near the main entrance, you can see carvings of Robin Hood (for architect Raymond Hood) and a howling dog (for architect John Mead Howells).
The very top of the tower looks like the "butter tower" of the Rouen Cathedral in France. This is a special crown-shaped top, typical of the Late-Gothic style. Rene Paul Chambellan also made the gargoyles and a screen above the main doors. One gargoyle is a frog, which Chambellan jokingly made to represent himself!
The building's lobby is also special. Its walls have famous quotes about freedom and the press carved into them. These quotes come from important figures like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. One quote from Jefferson says, "Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that can not be limited without being lost."
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Tribune Tower in 2009
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Buttresses on the top of the building
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The Tribune Tower (right) above the Chicago River
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Tribune Tower in July 2021, with noticeable additions on part of the condo conversion
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A Collection of World Fragments
Before the tower was built, Robert R. McCormick asked his newspaper reporters to bring back rocks and bricks. These pieces came from famous places all over the world. Many of these fragments are built into the lower walls of the Tribune Tower. Each one is labeled to show where it came from.
You can find stones from places like St. Stephen's Cathedral in Austria, the Taj Mahal in India, and the Parthenon in Greece. There are also pieces from the Great Pyramid in Egypt, the Great Wall of China, and Notre-Dame de Paris in France. It's like a mini-museum of world history on the building's outside!
In 1999, astronaut Buzz Aldrin brought a rock from the Moon to the tower. It was displayed for a while. A piece of steel from the World Trade Center in New York City was also added to the wall. In 2006, tiles from the Sydney Opera House in Australia were included too.
The Plaza and Nathan Hale Statue
In front of the building, there is a bronze sculpture of Nathan Hale. This statue was made by Bela Pratt and placed there in 1940. Nathan Hale was an American soldier during the Revolutionary War. He was known for his bravery.
The statue shows Hale with his hands and feet tied. The base of the statue has his famous quote: "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." It's a powerful reminder of courage and sacrifice.
Buildings Inspired by the Tower
The unique design of the Tribune Tower has inspired other buildings. You can see its influence in places like the Grace Building in Sydney, Australia. The Manchester Unity Building in Melbourne, Australia, also shows similar features. Even One Atlantic Center in Atlanta, USA, was influenced by the Tribune Tower's look.
See also
In Spanish: Tribune Tower para niños
- Chicago architecture
- Open House Chicago
