People’s Choice Best Building 2024, (1) Tribune Tower vs. (16) Marina City

Known for its world-renowned architecture, Chicago has more than its fair share of stellar buildings and towers. From the Willis Tower downtown, to the Frederick C. Robie House out in the neighborhoods, famous architects keep coming back to put their mark on our skyline. We have dozens of iconic buildings around our city, but there can only be one that is the best!

In the spirit of March Madness, it’s time to figure out exactly which building is the favorite. With the bracket filled by all of you readers, it’s time to start voting!

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(1) Tribune Tower

Stats:

435 N. Michigan Ave

Height: 463 feet

Constructed: 1925

Architect: Howells and Hood

As the winning submission to the Chicago Tribune’s international design competition, Howells and Hood’s neo-Gothic design features soaring vertical lines, flying buttresses, and rich ornamentation. At the base of the building, fragments of 149 famous buildings are integrated into the facade, including the Berlin Wall, the Taj Mahal, the Parthenon, Hagia Sophia, and Great Wall of China to name a few. In 2018, the Chicago Tribune moved out and developers CIM Group and Golub & Company converted the building into 162 condominiums. Solomon Cordwell Buenz and Vinci Hamp Architects led the conversion.

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(16) Marina City

Stats:

300 N. State St

Height: 588 feet

Constructed: 1964

Architect: Bertrand Goldberg

During a time of mass exodus to the suburbs, Bertrand Goldberg believed in the life and economy of cities. Marina City was built as a complex where people could live and work downtown. Intended as a city within a city, the two residential towers with 900 apartments were complemented by an office building which now operates as a hotel and an entertainment venue. The round, “corn cob” shaped towers feature a radial plan with pie-shaped units that include full height windows and balconies, giving expansive views of downtown to residents inside.

Cast your vote below!