Also known as: One Pru Formerly: The Prudential Building Built: 1952-1955 Designed by: Ness and Murphy Renovated: 1968 by C.F. Murphy and Associates Type: Skyscraper Stories: 41 Maximum Height: 912 feet / 278 meters Location: 130 East Randolph Street, Chicago, United States
Building Rating 60% of readers like the One Prudential Plaza.
Advertisement
N othing screams 1950's architecture like a big limestone box with an equipment penthouse on the roof. There was an entire generation of architecture, not just in Chicago, where square stone, white, or glass boxes were in. The result is towers like this. Lifeless from a distance, they might as well hold cattle or cardboard boxes, for they completely fail to translate the imagination and inspiration of the human spirit into architectural form. They completely fail to soar skyward, but rather constrain people inside; obedient paper-pushers in their cubicle farm Hell. While that may seem a bit harsh, it's buildings like this that reflect not the grand spirit of freedom, but the conformity that inspired so many Soviet-era apartment blocks in Eastern Europe. Still, One Prudential Plaza isn't completely without merit. To start, it turned a portion of a dirty rail yard into productive commercial space. Further, this was the first skyscraper erected in the city after the Second World War, so that should count for something. Moreover, the building actually sports a work of art. The Prudential company’s Rock of Gibraltar logo is in relief with gold accents on the lower extension of the building. This was executed by Alfonso Ianelli.
Mike K
Sunday, January 17th, 2010 @ 4:52pm
Rating: Five stars. I think this building is super, because it was constructed in the mid fifties, and for a couple of decades afterwards the observation deck on about the 39th or 40th floor was a downtown destination.
Kirby Cruz
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 @ 6:55pm
Rating: Five stars. I love seeing old photos of when the 'P1' dominated the skyline in the mid 1950s. first skyscraper built after WWII in chicago. THough I wish they kept the original font on the 'Prudential' sign... very modern!
Add your corrections, comments, reviews, or thoughts about this
building. Simply fill out the form below.
Your name:
E-mail address:
Your nation:
Rate this structure:
15
Your comments:
Messages without valid e-mail addresses, or containing profanity
will be automatically discarded. You're wasting your time, not ours.
Mike K
Five stars.