Marina City in Chicago is a multifunctional residential and commercial complex with an unusual appearance that stands out from other buildings. It is located on the north bank of the Chicago River. Scenes from "The Hunter", "Knight of the Roads", "Nothing in Common" and other films were shot here. Since 2016, it has been officially an architectural landmark of the city.
History of creation
The landmark was designed by architect Bertrand Goldberg in 1959, construction work was carried out in 1961-1968. It was the first time in America that tower cranes were used. Marina City in Chicago was conceived as a "city within a city" with a prerequisite in the form of numerous amenities for citizens.
It was very important that there were cafes, restaurants, shops, conference halls, and equipped places for recreation, such as a theater, cinema, and bowling alley. At the time of construction, the Marina City Towers were considered the tallest residential buildings in the world, with a height of 179 meters.
At first it was rented out, since 1977 it has been converted into condominiums. We are talking about a form of ownership in which residents of apartment buildings own their premises personally. In the 90s, the residents of the complex encountered rats, but this problem was solved. In 2016, Marina City in Chicago received the status of an architectural landmark from the city authorities. This protects the object from possible demolition and increases its importance.
Short description
Marina City in Chicago became one of the first large post-war high-rise apartment complexes in the United States. The complex consists of 2 towers built on 65 floors, outwardly resembling corn cobs, 2 shopping malls, a theater, and an equipped harbor for yachts and boats.
By the way, the similarity of skyscrapers to corn cobs has been mentioned many times in various media. And this is no coincidence, Goldberg deliberately chose the cylindrical shape of buildings and petal-shaped balconies. This is his creative response to the standard construction of large cities with rectangular buildings without any individuality. Also, thanks to the shape, the living spaces have increased, and the complex itself has become the most recognizable object in Chicago. One of the features of Marina City in Chicago is that all apartments have the shape of a circle sector. The only source of energy in the buildings is electricity, gas is not even used here for heating, and customers were warned about this in advance.
How to get
Marina City in Chicago is located on the corner of State Street and Chicago River Road in the Chicago Loop area. You can use public transport services: if you take the NoNo29, 36, 62 buses, you need to get off at the State&Marina City stop, if you take the subway – the Merchandise Mart or Grand/State on the red line. It's easy to call a taxi or rent a car from a carsharing company.
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