Monday, 10 February 2014

Marina City, Chicago


Marina City is a mixed-use residential/commercial building complex that occupies an entire city block on State Street in Chicago, Illinois. It sits on the north bank of the Chicago River in downtown Chicago, directly across from the Loop district. The complex consists of two corncob-shaped, 587-foot (179 m), 65-story towers, which include five-story elevators and physical plant penthouses. It also includes a saddle-shaped auditorium building, and a mid-rise hotel building, all contained on a raised platform next to the Chicago River. Beneath the platform, at river level, is a small marina for pleasure craft, giving the structures their name. Marina City was the first building in the United States to be constructed with tower cranes.