Ask anyone to name a few tall buildings in the USA, and you’ll probably get a lot of the same answers. Despite being nowhere near the tallest, New York’s Empire State Building seems to be the most memorable. Some might mention One World Trade Center, sitting at the site where the twin towers were from about 1973-2001. Another common one to think about is the Willis Tower, known by most people by it’s previous name, the Sears Tower. And yet, just a few miles away from the Willis Tower sits another building nearly as tall and nowhere near as iconic for whatever reason.
Chicago’s John Hancock Center
This two-pointed obelisk was originally known as the John Hancock Center. It was, for a very short time, the second tallest building in the world and the tallest in the midwest. The building was named for the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance company, who was busy in the 20th century commissioning tall buildings all over the country for some reason. I guess maybe people liked insurance companies then, more than they do now? I guess we’ll never really know the rationale.
The John Hancock Center was built starting in 1964, the height of mid-century cool. All the latest construction techniques were used, including the X-shaped bracing in the outer skin which gives the tower its unique look. The goal was to create a mixed-use space right on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, with businesses and condominiums sharing the same vertical footprint. It was common at the time to build these sort of spaces in large cities, where a person could do everything they needed for their lives in one space. Remember these were the days before you could work or shop remotely.
Things didn’t go so smoothly
Unfortunately, the building’s construction didn’t go as planned. Construction stopped a few times, notably in 1967 when it was discovered that math errors and materials problems caused the concrete to settle far more than expected. By 1969, in a show of support, the building’s main engineer moved in, becoming the center’s first resident. Problems with construction caused its primary backer to bow out, leaving the John Hancock organization to finish the project.
While the official opening of the building was in 1970, problems continued for several years. In 1972, a group of highly trained computer engineers were brought in to build one of the most complex heating and ventilation management systems that had ever been created. Despite having less computing power than any of today’s smart thermostats, the system managed all of the complex needs of the John Hancock Center for decades, finally being replaced at the turn of the millennium due to unsolvable Y2K bug issues.
Shortly after resolving systemic issues like the HVAC, the building began to gain tenants and grow in popularity. However, while the Hancock Center continued to grow in prestige, it was overshadowed almost immediately by the Sears Tower, which opened in 1973 in Chicago. The Sears Tower was almost 100% occupied by its owner, meaning that many of its construction problems were far more private.
Legacy of the John Hancock Center
Throughout the late 20th century and into the 21st century, the Hancock Tower continued to be a prestigious address in one of the most well-heeled parts of Chicago. It boasted (and still boasts) a large observation area with a mixed open-air and closed environment and 360 degree views. There’s a restaurant where you can dine at one of the highest points in the midwest, and it’s still a top address for business. However, by 2018 the John Hancock organization had left the center. Its official name was changed to 875 North Michigan Avenue.
It’s sad to think that the John Hancock Center, no matter what it’s called now, never captured the public’s imagination like other skyscrapers have. It’s now the eighth-largest building in Chicago Even its top-tier address and fabulous views haven’t helped it become a killer destination. Looking at Zillow, it’s possible to get a reasonable sized condo there for about $350,000, which seems like a heck of a deal to me.
Throwback to an earlier era
I guess the best thing you could say about the John Hancock center is that it’s a throwback to a different way of thinking. We still love mixed-use spaces, but the idea that you can get everything you need from one building never really panned out. The optimism and nerve of the building’s developers seem like mid-20th-century fictions now, but thanks to the hard work of thousands of people, the building still stands tall to remind us of that time.
