875 North Michigan Avenue, formerly known as the John Hancock Center, stands as a globally recognized architectural icon. This groundbreaking mixed-use tower, a product of the visionary collaboration between architect Bruce Graham and structural engineer Fazlur Khan, revolutionized skyscraper design. The building remains a quintessential example of collaborative architectural ideals, a hallmark of SOM’s leadership across diverse design disciplines.
Locally and affectionately known as “Big John,” the John Hancock Center is strategically located on Chicago’s prestigious North Michigan Avenue. This prime location is characterized by a vibrant mix of residential apartments, high-end shops, corporate offices, luxury hotels, gourmet restaurants, and sophisticated art galleries. This existing urban diversity inspired the initial concept: a desire to vertically stack these varied uses. Early plans considered a separate 70-story apartment tower and a 45-story office building. However, such an approach would have consumed most of the valuable site, compromising privacy and natural light for both structures. Furthermore, street-level apartments risked noise pollution. The innovative solution was to consolidate these functions into a single, unified tower, placing offices on the lower floors and apartments on the higher levels of the John Hancock Center.
The distinctive tapered form of the John Hancock Center is not merely aesthetic; it’s a direct response to functional needs. The building’s shape elegantly accommodates varying floor space requirements as it ascends. The wider base caters to the expansive entrance and commercial zones at ground level. Moving upwards, the mid-levels house clusters of smaller apartments, transitioning to larger, more luxurious apartments at the summit where service spaces requiring less natural light are efficiently integrated.
“The John Hancock Center isn’t just important to Chicago; it’s important to city skylines across the world. When it was completed 50 years ago, it changed what architects and engineers thought was possible.”
Jesse Dukes, WBEZ Chicago
John Hancock Center Chicago skyline view
John Hancock Center interior lobby
John Hancock Center structural beams
John Hancock Center observation deck view
John Hancock Center top floors residences
The John Hancock Center’s impact extends far beyond Chicago. It redefined urban skylines globally and pushed the boundaries of architectural and engineering innovation. Its enduring legacy lies in its pioneering approach to vertical mixed-use design, demonstrating a harmonious blend of form and function that continues to inspire architects and urban planners worldwide.
