Architecture Chicago

Information about Chicago's Architure: the highlights among the buildings, the architects, the Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF).

The city’s international renown for inspired architecture began after the 1871 Great Chicago fire, when its blank landscape and reputation for innovation attracted leading and up-and-coming architects of the day. One result was the world’s first “skyscraper” - the Home Insurance Building built in 1885. Though gone, this building set Chicago en route to becoming a living architecture museum that today includes three of the world’s tallest buildings: Sears Tower (1,450 feet); AON Center (1,136 feet); and the John Hancock Center (1,127 feet).