Two Prudential Plaza
At 995 feet, it stops just five feet short of 1,000 — no building in the country cuts it that close.
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When it opened in 1990 it was the world's tallest reinforced concrete building. The geometry earns a second look: chevron setbacks climb the north and south faces before the tower resolves into a pyramidal peak rotated 45 degrees from the body, capped by an 80-foot spire. It won the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois Best Structure Award in 1995.
What to look for
- Stacked chevron setbacks on the north and south faces — the defining visual move of the design
- The pyramidal crown twisted 45 degrees off-axis, topped by an 80-foot spire
- The Canadian flag flying beside the US flag in the Lake Street plaza — the Canadian Consulate General is in Suite 2400
In the Loop on Lake Street; the plaza is street-level and open. The building is an office tower, so interior access is limited to tenants and visitors with appointments.
Two Prudential Plaza is one of 37 sights worth the detour in Chicago, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Chicago pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Chicago
- Willis TowerIt held the world's tallest title for nearly 25 years after opening in 1973 — and the Skydeck is still the highest observation deck in the United States.
- Art Institute of ChicagoFour paintings you've seen your whole life — Nighthawks, La Grande Jatte, The Old Guitarist, American Gothic — hang in the same building.
- John Hancock Center (875 N Michigan Ave)A moving platform pivots you 30 degrees outward over the Magnificent Mile — 1,128 feet of nothing beneath your feet.
- Aon CenterWhen it opened in 1973 as "Big Stan," this 83-floor tower was the fourth-tallest building on Earth — and clad entirely in marble.
- United CenterThe Bulls hardwood floor is literally assembled over the Blackhawks ice and taken apart game by game — two teams, one frozen surface, shared by puzzle.
- Soldier FieldThe NFL's oldest stadium lost its National Historic Landmark status because of the renovation meant to save it.