Jump to content

Wrigley Building

Coordinates: 41°53′23″N 87°37′29″W / 41.889707°N 87.624861°W / 41.889707; -87.624861
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wrigley Building
Chicago's Wrigley Building
Map
General information
Typecommercial offices
Location400-410 N. Michigan Ave
Chicago, Illinois
CountryUnited States
Coordinates41°53′23″N 87°37′29″W / 41.889707°N 87.624861°W / 41.889707; -87.624861
Construction started1920
CompletedSeptember 1921
OpeningMay 1924 (both towers)
Height
Antenna spire438 ft (134 m)
Roof425 ft (130 m)
Top floor21 (North Tower)
30 (South Tower)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Graham, Anderson, Probst & White
DeveloperWilliam Wrigley Jr.

The Wrigley Building is a skyscraper located at 400–410 North Michigan Avenue on Chicago's Near North Side. It is located on the Magnificent Mile directly across Michigan Avenue from the Tribune Tower. Its two towers in an elaborate style were built between 1920 and 1924 to house the corporate headquarters of the Wrigley Company. Its bright white facade is covered in terra cotta.

History

[edit]

When ground was broken for the Wrigley Building in 1920, there were no major office buildings north of the Chicago River. The Michigan Avenue Bridge, which spans the river just south of the building, was still under construction. The land was selected by chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. for the headquarters of his company. The building was designed by the architectural firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst & White using the shape of the Giralda tower of Seville's Cathedral combined with French Renaissance details. The 425-foot (130 m) south tower was completed in September 1921 and the north tower in May 1924. Walkways between the towers were added at the ground level and the third floor. In 1931, another walkway was added at the fourteenth floor to allow for a rearrangement of Wrigley's offices.[1] The two towers, not including the levels below Michigan Avenue, have a combined area of 453,433 square feet (42,125.3 m2).

The two towers are of differing heights, with the south tower rising to 30 stories and the north tower to 21 stories. On the south tower is a clock with faces pointing in all directions. Each face is 19 feet 7 inches (5.97 m) in diameter. The building is clad in glazed terra-cotta, which provides its gleaming white façade. On occasion, the entire building is hand washed to preserve the terra cotta. At night, the building is brightly lit with floodlights.

The Wrigley Building was Chicago's first air-conditioned office building. If one walks through the center doors, one will enter a secluded park area overlooking the Chicago River.

In the 1957 science fiction film Beginning of the End, giant grasshoppers attack downtown Chicago, and in one scene are shown climbing up the side of the Wrigley Building.[2]

The Wrigley Building was sold in 2011 to a group of investors that includes Zeller Realty Group and Groupon co-founders Eric Lefkofsky and Brad Keywell.[3] The new owners made the building more attractive to businesses by adding a Walgreens, a coffee shop, a fitness center and a nursing room for mothers.[4]

Tenants

[edit]

Addresses at 400 North Michigan Avenue:

Addresses at 410 North Michigan Avenue:

  • Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, housed in Suite 900.
  • EZCall, a division of Kronos Incorporated, housed in Suite 660.
  • Capax Global US Headquarters, housed in Suite 650.
  • Perkins and Will
[edit]
  • The Wrigley Building's Giralda-inspired tower
    The Wrigley Building's Giralda-inspired tower
  • A view along Michigan Ave., the Wrigley Building is visible on the right
    A view along Michigan Ave., the Wrigley Building is visible on the right
  • The structure from across the Chicago River
    The structure from across the Chicago River
  • An upwards facing view of the building
    An upwards facing view of the building
  • An angle of the building showing the annex in more detail.
    An angle of the building showing the annex in more detail.
  • Wrigley Building lit up at night with U.S.A. flag from the Chicago River in July 2024
    Wrigley Building lit up at night with U.S.A. flag from the Chicago River in July 2024

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Bridge 150 Feet in Air to Link Wrigley Towers". Chicago Tribune. Aug 30, 1931. p. 10.
  2. ^ "Fun Facts". The Wrigley Building. Archived from the original on November 16, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  3. ^ Wrigley Building Sold for $33 Million
  4. ^ Elahi, Amina (12 February 2014). "Wrigley Building owners look to lure technology companies". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  5. ^ Consulate General Archived 2012-07-22 at archive.today Consulate-General of Austria in Chicago. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
  6. ^ British Consulate-General, Chicago Archived 2012-08-14 at the Wayback Machine UKinUSA. Accessed 30 August 2011.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wrigley_Building&oldid=1238616134"