By Elisa Drake, for WhereTraveler.com
Chicago was a burgeoning big city when it suffered the devastating setback of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. But instead of licking its wounds, Chicago dusted itself off and went to work. The result: one of the most architecturally significant cities in the world. Check out some of the top buildings, architecture tours, places to live and more.
In a city as architecturally endowed as Chicago, it's hard to pick just a few buildings as favorites, but we narrowed them down and came up with 5 that wow us.
Board of Trade
The walk from the Metra commuter rail station takes us past this National Historic Landmark, soaring relic of Art Deco greatness.
Perfectly situated at the end of LaSalle Street, nothing in the way of its grand image, this 1930 Holabird & Root masterpiece has all the right Art Deco touches--strong vertical lines and set-backs up its 45 stories, and geometric ornamentation. Even its decorative topper is stylized, a solid aluminum version of Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, chosen to represent the trading activities within. Fun fact: The model for artist John Storrs' statue was a 14-year-old girl from the west side of Chicago. 141 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago Board of Trade
Chicago Water Tower
Who can resist the charm of this Gothic revival sandcastle tower in the middle of the Mag Mile? Add to that its history and use, and this structure always gets a vote in our best-of lists.
Built in 1869, following completion of the Pumping Station across the street, the Tower now houses a city-run art gallery. It originally hid a standpipe to regulate water pressure from the pumping station that pulled lake water through two miles of underwater piping. Architect William Boyington used this castellated Gothic style and the yellow Joliet limestone in many of his structures, including the now-abandoned Joliet Prison--made famous in "The Blues Brothers" movie. 806 N. Michigan Ave.
Historic Water Tower, Chicago
Poetry Foundation
We love this sophisticated home of Poetry magazine for its underplayed elegance and hushed presence among bustling River North. It's not shouting, "Look at me!" in any way or trying to be the biggest or tallest; it's just quietly doing its job.
The 22,000-square-foot sunlit center--one of only a few devoted to poetry in the country--was designed by Chicago architect John Ronan in 2011, after the magazine received an unexpected $200 million endowment in 2002 from late pharmaceutical heiress Ruth Lilly. Like a poem can often do, the structure tends to change with each new look, depending on the light. 61 W. Superior St.
Poetry Foundation building, Chicago
Marina City
One such building is the iconic Marina City. Completed in 1964 and lovingly referred to as the Corn Cobs, these 65-story twin structures along the river were the brainchild of Bertrand Goldberg, who hoped to keep post-World War II city dwellers from retreating to the suburbs by creating a city-within-a-city, complete with parking lot, restaurant, grocery store, dry cleaner, bowling alley, theater, bank and more. Each condo unit is wedge-shaped with rounded balconies. 300 N. State St.
Marina City
Lake Point Tower
A curvaceous condo building, Lake Point Tower lies just north of the river, the only skyscraper in downtown Chicago east of Lake Shore Drive. Created in 1968 by two students of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, it was the world's tallest apartment building at the time. Famous residents have included Scottie Pippen, Goldie Hawn and Alice Cooper. 505 N. Lake Shore Drive
Lake Point Tower
More Chicago travel stories you might enjoy:
Elisa Drake serves as Chicago editor for Where.
Photo credits: ©Felix Lipov/Shutterstock; ©Cortney Martin/Flickr, Creative Commons; courtesy Poetry Foundation; ©BorisVetshev/Shutterstock; ©nisargmedia.com/Shutterstock
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