I agree, while its not a bad building by any means, I guess I just never really cared for it, some views I like it, some views I really dont. From afar or in a skyline shot I love it! But close up I just think its very ugly, the taller brighter windows torwards the bottom also bug me. But I cant really imagine Chicago without it!

Some of mine:

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g266/pag293/r.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g266/pag293/zb.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g266/pag293/zj.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g266/pag293/zzzu.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g266/pag293/zzzy.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g266/pag293/zzzzm.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g266/pag293/zzzzv.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...93/zzzzzzd.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...93/zzzzzze.jpg

I agree aswell,this is just about he only Chi tower I dont like:shrug:

Well I like it, which kinda explains how I ended up creating a thread about it!

It's size is obviously one appeal. And it has a good shape to it and that criss cross pattern on the outside.

Back when I really started to get into skyscrapers back in middle school, I actually thought it was the Sears Tower. I remember watching shows like Family Matters and Married with Children and always making sure to catch the opening of the show so that I could see the skyline. It wasn't until one day in middle school in Social Studies that I found a picture of the Sears Tower in my textbook, and realized I was wrong. I think that was really the first time I was really aware and interested in skyscrapers elsewhere. I had been interested in them in Austin, but since the internet wasn't around, and I wasn't exactly reading skyscraper and architecture books at the time, I had to rely on obscure photos of cities in books and magazines. I feel like Big John is one of those skyscrapers that really got me interested in the subject. I'd say it's probably the most iconic Chicago skyscraper around. It's like a mesh between the USX Tower in Pittsburgh, and the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco. It's just a great skyscraper.

edit

Unlike the OP,

I do like like JHC, and didn't proceed to post any huge photographs.

And I am bipolar.;)

Hey, maybe you're on to something.

cbotnyse your photos of JHC from the lake are beautiful
(I missed them somehow earlier)


Here's a couple more construction pics.



http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/2...ction22mo0.png




From the photo below you see they're up to the 54th floor.

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/1...nhancocyt4.png

Thanks for starting a thread about the John Hancock Center. It is EASILY my favorite building in Chicago for several reasons:

1. I have always loved the way it looks, both up close and in the skyline. It has such an imposing presence.

2. It has the best observation deck -- incredible views of the city from up there, both during the day and at night.

3. I have two great memories in my life that took place at the Hancock Center:

A. My father was a traveling sales rep and I didn't get to spend much time with him when I was a kid. His company's office was in a building right next to the Hancock. A couple times he let me go with him to his office and hang out for the day. I remember looking out the windows and all you could see was this huge building. It was one of my best memories as a child.

B. Four years ago, I got engaged at the Hancock observatory.

And plus it has a dominating solid black colour.

Big John simply rules.

one of the best skyscrapers in chicago.

hell, one of the best skyscrapers anywhere in the world.

This tower is just perfect for the city it represents. The views from the observation deck looking back at the Sears Tower are some of the best in the world!

The building's architecture is certainly not the best, but in a way that's what makes the building great.

"one of the best skyscrapers in chicago. hell, one of the best skyscrapers anywhere in the world."

I wholeheartedly agree.

"Was it groundbreaking in it's time or something?"

Yes, the X-bracing (sometimes called structural expressionism) along with the tapered form was pretty revolutionary for 1970. Up until then, most buildings were being constructed in the International Style (aka shoeboxes) and this building along with others from the Modern era broke "out of the box" so to speak. From what I understand, there was concern about the X-bracing obstructing views from the residential floors - but apparently residents PREFERRED the units closest to the X-bracing - it's that iconic.

http://www.clevelandskyscrapers.com/.../chicago_4.jpg

http://www.clevelandskyscrapers.com/.../chicago_5.jpg

^ Yeah - I've read that units with cross-bracing sell for a premium.

To me, Hancock is the best & highest expression of the skyscraper in the second half of the Twentieth Century - engineering & design just come together so beautifully on it - my only quibble is the K-Mart Special nighttime flourescent illumination strip at the top, which I swear must vie with 300 S Wacker as being the only man-made object that can be seen from Mars at night.

The fact that this building is still a successful model for mixed-use towers all over the world after 40 years says a whole lot!

To me this is the Chrysler Building of its era. It may not have been the tallest, but it certainly was the best (amongst the late 60's early 70's supertalls built).

A pool on the 44th floor? Hell yeah!

At least they haven't totally bastardized the base of the building either with some ginormous glassy postmodern sh*t for an entry (lookin' at YOU Sears Tower).

^Hmm... I believe the quote is "a wart on the ankle of a giant":

:yuck: :yuck: :yuck:
http://www.clevelandskyscrapers.com/...chicago_87.jpg

^^^ I actually don't mind the Cheesecake factory being there. I mean those retail spaces are meant to be adaptable to new uses, that's the whole genius behind modern buildings, they are modular and able to be retrofitted for any use. Its not like that retail space can't be returned to its previous state once/if Cheesecake factory leaves.

Plus I've always been a fan of design that mirrors the use of a place. For example, the Kone Elevator building or that parking garage on Randolf that looks like the front of a car...

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/8...nteriorwt7.jpg

A look back: TWA reservations in JHC.

It was the second tallest when completed, after the ESB that reaches its full height with an ornamental top.
I think that Big John was a legitimate contender for the title.