Chicago is home to some of the most unique
high-rise buildings in the world.
The city's innovative style of building
came out of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871,
which changed the way Chicago would be built forever.
As architects shifted to more fire resistant materials,
their buildings became some of the
strongest and tallest in the country. 
Join us as we look at five of Chicago's iconic buildings
that left behind a legacy
influencing the city's new building designers
to push architecture to new heights.
The Aqua skyscraper by architect Jeannie Gang
has a contemporary sculptural design
that creates the illusion of water
running along the sides of this 82-story building.
Completed in 2009 with a budget of $300 million
The Aqua instantly set itself apart from the rest
of the Chicago skyline with its unique aesthetic.
The Aqua set a precedent through its careful engineering
employing GPS technology to ensure that
each concrete balcony was poured in its precise shape
to maximize shading and help break down gusty wind currents,
making it a major feat of functionality and design.
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This Spanish Colonial Revival-style high-rise
was commissioned by William Wrigley Jr. in 1920.
The William Wrigley Jr. building
is considered the first skyscraper on the Magnificent Mile,
which stretches down Michigan Avenue
from the Chicago River to Oak Street.
Budgeted at $1 million, architects
Graham, Anderson, Probst and White
designed the building after a 12th century
Spanish cathedral.
Completed in 1931, the Wrigley Building is 
reinforced by steel framing.
It has two towers connected by a bridge
and is crowned by a bell tower clock.
The Wrigley Building was the first
major office building in the area, and after an extensive project
completed in 2015, it continues to serve as a home
for many businesses.
Built in 1968 with a budget of 100 million,
the John Hancock Building became the world's
second-tallest skyscraper at 1,499 feet tall.
Although this mid-century modern building
was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill,
it's the tubular system technology
used on the building that was developed
by engineer Fazlur Khan
that would be used to build skyscrapers
more than 100 stories tall all over the world.
The building is best known
for its obelisk shape
and wind-resistant X-braces
covering its exterior
which increases the building's floor space 
by eliminating the need for columns.
The John Hancock is an icon of functional design
and remains impressive to Chicagoans
and architecture enthusiasts alike.
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This postmodern, transparent, dome-shaped building
is the Thompson Center, designed by Helmut Jahn.
Completed in 1985 by architects 
Lester B. Knight and Associates,
The Thompson Center was designed 
to reinvent the government building.
Its distinctive rotunda allows for a ground view 
of all 16 floors, symbolizing the transparency 
and accessibility of the Illinois State government.
Costing $172 million at completion, the building  
is made out of 24,600 single-pane glass panels
and reinforced red steel.
For this reason, keeping this building cool
has taken some innovative HVAC solutions,
such as thermal storage.
Despite its challenges,
the Thompson Center's unique design
makes it one of the largest enclosed spaces
in existence today.
[Music]
At 17 stories high, the Monadnock
is the tallest masonry-built skyscraper in Chicago.
This 19th century commercial building
was commissioned by developers
Peter and Shepherd Brooks
in 1889 for $850,000.
The north side, completed by
architects Burnham & Root,
is the last of its kind
to use six-foot-thick
load bearing brick walls to build a high-rise,
while the south side, built by Holabird & Roche,
uses an early method of steel framing.
Built in two parts with two different building techniques,
the Monadnock leaves a legacy
that represents a major transitional period
in Chicago's architectural history.
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