#197 l Three First National Plaza l CHICAGO l 234m l 57fl

D-Mac · January 16th, 2003, 03:16 AM

Three First National Plaza
Chicago, USA

HEIGHT: 234m/767 feet
FLOORS: 57 floors
COMPLETION: 1981
ARCHITECT: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Completed in 1982, the 1.7 million sf mixed-use complex occupies a prime location near the financial center and downtown commercial district of Chicago's Loop. The project includes a 57-story tower, an 11-story element adjacent to an existing private club, and a central nine-story glazed public lobby.

The configuration of the new tower retains a degree of openness along busy Madison Avenue and minimizes the disruption of views from the neighboring 60-story First National Plaza Building. The sawtooth geometry, which provided multiple corner offices, makes a transition on the top six levels to stepped greenhouse offices with views over the city looking toward Lake Michigan. Just as the massing of Three First National Plaza is designed to relate to its neighboring tower, the carnelian granite cladding reinforces this complementary relationship. A second level walkway further links the two structures.

Designed to provide light and views for office tenants, bay windows, a traditional element of Chicago turn-of-the-century architecture, are central features of the tower. Projecting from the structural tube, the bays emphasize the tower's vertical expression. The bronze reflective glass bays, cantilevered from the concrete and steel structural system, are framed in warm gray aluminum spandrels which act as louvers for the decentralized mechanical system.

On three sides, office area and mezzanine balconies look onto the central nine-story public space. A stepped steel truss structure, repeating the sawtooth geometry on a horizontal plane, supports the clear glass enclosure. Connected below-grade both to Chicago's rapid transit system and underground arcade network, the lobby is designed as an indoor plaza in the Chicago tradition of open public spaces. The plaza, which is designed to add street-level animation with its granite paving, bronze detailing, landscaping and specialty shopping area, features a Henry Moore sculpture.

luis4083 · January 16th, 2003, 12:25 PM

beautiful! elegant design,
i like this building

luis4083 · January 16th, 2003, 12:25 PM

i give it 10 out of 10

RafflesCity · January 16th, 2003, 06:18 PM

7.5/10

Elegant, but a bit bland.

SteelCity32 · January 17th, 2003, 01:37 AM

a bit bland and boxy...but ok

6.5/10

January 17th, 2003, 05:57 PM

mmmm.... nice and tall, but the design is quite plain.... I will give it a 7.

Pablo · January 18th, 2003, 07:47 AM

6/10 looks very tall

De Snor · January 23rd, 2003, 10:36 PM

bold and elegant , an 9

Wu-Gambino · January 24th, 2003, 05:06 AM

8/10

Almost like BoA in San Francisco. It fits in nice with its neighbor, Bank One Plaza.

Muse · January 24th, 2003, 06:32 AM

Boxy but nice enough glasswork. Very much a builiding style of its times.

7.5

renell · January 24th, 2003, 04:22 PM

7. looks good on some, but not all, angles

The Messiah · March 8th, 2003, 03:03 PM

The base looks elegant,so does the rest of the tower.
8.0/10

April 10th, 2003, 04:42 PM

6 An average skyscraper... it's just "there"

Jase Calvin · April 16th, 2003, 04:27 PM

I quite like it - the best of the "ordinary" types. 7/10

April 26th, 2003, 01:06 AM

8/10

huaiwei · May 28th, 2003, 12:10 PM

7/10...repeated patterns work for some...but not for all...and it gets mentally numbing after seeing too many at a go..

james2390 · August 11th, 2003, 07:11 PM

9

AtlanticaC5 · August 21st, 2003, 06:46 PM

It's OK, 7.5/10

SUNNI · August 23rd, 2003, 02:31 AM

i like it 8

il fenomeno · August 28th, 2003, 09:03 PM

looks so common 5/10

View Poll Results: Three First National Plaza
10	14	8.00%
9.5	3	1.71%
9	11	6.29%
8.5	19	10.86%
8	30	17.14%
7.5	22	12.57%
7	28	16.00%
6.5	10	5.71%
6	18	10.29%
5.5	1	0.57%
5	8	4.57%
4.5	2	1.14%
4	2	1.14%
3.5	2	1.14%
3 or less	5	2.86%
Voters: 175. You may not vote on this poll

January 17th, 2003, 01:37 AM	#5
SteelCity32 Don't be that guy! Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 1,098 Likes (Received): 0	a bit bland and boxy...but ok 6.5/10 __________________ I often dream of huge numb buildings, jet black sinister architecture. Being installed when nobody sees. Their appearence so sudden that few would take notice.

January 18th, 2003, 07:47 AM	#7
Pablo Jian Fa Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: George Town, JB Posts: 3,310 Likes (Received): 0	6/10 looks very tall __________________ Malaysia Truly ASIA

January 24th, 2003, 05:06 AM	#9
Wu-Gambino Registered User Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 2,679 Likes (Received): 2	8/10 Almost like BoA in San Francisco. It fits in nice with its neighbor, Bank One Plaza. Last edited by Wu-Gambino; April 22nd, 2004 at 03:09 PM.

January 24th, 2003, 04:22 PM	#11
renell Here Since 2002 Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Sydney/Metro Manila Posts: 6,715 Likes (Received): 2	7. looks good on some, but not all, angles __________________ dafuq I've been here ten years?!

January 16th, 2003, 03:16 AM	#1
D-Mac Old School Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Montréal Posts: 144 Likes (Received): 0	#197 l Three First National Plaza l CHICAGO l 234m l 57fl Three First National Plaza Chicago, USA HEIGHT: 234m/767 feet FLOORS: 57 floors COMPLETION: 1981 ARCHITECT: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Completed in 1982, the 1.7 million sf mixed-use complex occupies a prime location near the financial center and downtown commercial district of Chicago's Loop. The project includes a 57-story tower, an 11-story element adjacent to an existing private club, and a central nine-story glazed public lobby. The configuration of the new tower retains a degree of openness along busy Madison Avenue and minimizes the disruption of views from the neighboring 60-story First National Plaza Building. The sawtooth geometry, which provided multiple corner offices, makes a transition on the top six levels to stepped greenhouse offices with views over the city looking toward Lake Michigan. Just as the massing of Three First National Plaza is designed to relate to its neighboring tower, the carnelian granite cladding reinforces this complementary relationship. A second level walkway further links the two structures. Designed to provide light and views for office tenants, bay windows, a traditional element of Chicago turn-of-the-century architecture, are central features of the tower. Projecting from the structural tube, the bays emphasize the tower's vertical expression. The bronze reflective glass bays, cantilevered from the concrete and steel structural system, are framed in warm gray aluminum spandrels which act as louvers for the decentralized mechanical system. On three sides, office area and mezzanine balconies look onto the central nine-story public space. A stepped steel truss structure, repeating the sawtooth geometry on a horizontal plane, supports the clear glass enclosure. Connected below-grade both to Chicago's rapid transit system and underground arcade network, the lobby is designed as an indoor plaza in the Chicago tradition of open public spaces. The plaza, which is designed to add street-level animation with its granite paving, bronze detailing, landscaping and specialty shopping area, features a Henry Moore sculpture. Last edited by ZZ-II; July 6th, 2008 at 05:00 PM.

January 16th, 2003, 12:25 PM	#2
luis4083 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Philippines Posts: 411 Likes (Received): 123	beautiful! elegant design, i like this building

January 16th, 2003, 06:18 PM	#4
RafflesCity By Spirit Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S I N G A P O R E Posts: 26,215 Likes (Received): 1	7.5/10 Elegant, but a bit bland.

January 17th, 2003, 05:57 PM	#6
Fernando Avila Guest Posts: n/a Likes (Received):	mmmm.... nice and tall, but the design is quite plain.... I will give it a 7.

January 23rd, 2003, 10:36 PM	#8
De Snor Forever Travelling Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 6,353 Likes (Received): 15	bold and elegant , an 9

January 24th, 2003, 06:32 AM	#10
Muse Supernature Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Sydney Posts: 8,630 Likes (Received): 7	Boxy but nice enough glasswork. Very much a builiding style of its times. 7.5

March 8th, 2003, 03:03 PM	#12
The Messiah Finishing this fight Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Middelburg(The Netherlands) Posts: 1,301 Likes (Received): 1	The base looks elegant,so does the rest of the tower. 8.0/10 __________________ The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 2 characters.

April 10th, 2003, 04:42 PM	#13
Evergrey Guest Posts: n/a Likes (Received):	6 An average skyscraper... it's just "there"

April 16th, 2003, 04:27 PM	#14
Jase Calvin Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Melbourne, Victoria Posts: 282 Likes (Received): 0	I quite like it - the best of the "ordinary" types. 7/10

April 26th, 2003, 01:06 AM	#15
BGT Guest Posts: n/a Likes (Received):	8/10

May 28th, 2003, 12:10 PM	#16
huaiwei The Monkey King Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Singapore 新加坡 Singapura சிங்கப்&#2986 Posts: 11,897 Likes (Received): 0	7/10...repeated patterns work for some...but not for all...and it gets mentally numbing after seeing too many at a go.. __________________ Majulah Singapura 前进吧，新加坡！Onward Singapore முன்னேறட்டும் சிங்கப்பூர் "My Settlement of Singapore continues to thrive most wonderfully - it is all and everything I could wish and, if no untimely fate awaits it, promises to become the Emporium and the pride of the East" - Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, 10th September 1820

August 11th, 2003, 07:11 PM	#17
james2390 Tribune Tower Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 2,920 Likes (Received): 0	9

August 21st, 2003, 06:46 PM	#18
AtlanticaC5 Right Here, Right Now Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Stockholm Posts: 2,655 Likes (Received): 0	It's OK, 7.5/10 __________________ Higher and higher, straight up we'll climb

August 23rd, 2003, 02:31 AM	#19
SUNNI architect by day Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Brisbane Posts: 3,059 Likes (Received): 0	i like it 8 __________________ kr.au

August 28th, 2003, 09:03 PM	#20
il fenomeno postings fürs herz ♥ Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: milão - mas eu sou do brasil! Posts: 4,219 Likes (Received): 3377	looks so common 5/10

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