One Prudential Plaza
Encyclopedia
One Prudential Plaza is a 41-story structure in Chicago
completed in 1955 as the headquarters
for Prudential
's Mid-America company. At the time, the skyscraper
was significant as the first new downtown skyscraper built in Chicago in 21 years (the last such building was the Field Building
, now headquarters of LaSalle Bank
, completed in 1934). It was the last building ever connected to the Chicago Tunnel Company
's tunnel network.
When the Prudential was finished it had the highest roof in Chicago with only the statue of Ceres on the Chicago Board of Trade
higher. Its mast served as a broadcasting antenna for Chicago's WGN-TV
.
The architect was Naess & Murphy, a precursor to C.F. Murphy & Associates and later Murphy/Jahn Architects.
One Prudential Plaza, along with its sister property, Two Prudential Plaza
, was sold in May 2006 for $470 million to BentleyForbes, a Los Angeles-based real estate investment firm, run by C. Frederick Wehba and his family.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
completed in 1955 as the headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
for Prudential
Prudential Financial
The Prudential Insurance Company of America , also known as Prudential Financial, Inc., is a Fortune Global 500 and Fortune 500 company whose subsidiaries provide insurance, investment management, and other financial products and services to both retail and institutional customers throughout the...
's Mid-America company. At the time, the skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
was significant as the first new downtown skyscraper built in Chicago in 21 years (the last such building was the Field Building
LaSalle National Bank Building
LaSalle National Bank Building is an art deco office building at 135 South LaSalle Street in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois, USA....
, now headquarters of LaSalle Bank
LaSalle Bank
LaSalle Bank Corporation was the holding company for LaSalle Bank N.A. and LaSalle Bank Midwest N.A. . With $116 billion in assets, it was headquartered at 135 South LaSalle Street in Chicago, Illinois...
, completed in 1934). It was the last building ever connected to the Chicago Tunnel Company
Chicago Tunnel Company
The Chicago Tunnel Company built a narrow gauge railway freight tunnel network under the downtown of the city of Chicago. This was regulated by the Interstate Commerce Commission as an interurban despite the fact that it operated entirely under central Chicago, did not carry passengers, and was...
's tunnel network.
When the Prudential was finished it had the highest roof in Chicago with only the statue of Ceres on the Chicago Board of Trade
Chicago Board of Trade
The Chicago Board of Trade , established in 1848, is the world's oldest futures and options exchange. More than 50 different options and futures contracts are traded by over 3,600 CBOT members through open outcry and eTrading. Volumes at the exchange in 2003 were a record breaking 454 million...
higher. Its mast served as a broadcasting antenna for Chicago's WGN-TV
WGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
.
The architect was Naess & Murphy, a precursor to C.F. Murphy & Associates and later Murphy/Jahn Architects.
One Prudential Plaza, along with its sister property, Two Prudential Plaza
Two Prudential Plaza
Two Prudential Plaza is a super-tall skyscraper that was built in the Loop area of Chicago, Illinois, United States in 1990. At 995 feet tall, it is currently the sixth-tallest building in Chicago and the thirteenth tallest in the United States. The building was designed by the firm Loebl,...
, was sold in May 2006 for $470 million to BentleyForbes, a Los Angeles-based real estate investment firm, run by C. Frederick Wehba and his family.
Tenants
- US-Mexico Chamber of Commerce Mid-America Chapter, 36th Floor
- Obama for AmericaBarack Obama presidential campaign, 2012On April 4, 2011, the President of the United States, Barack Obama, formally announced his re-election campaign for 2012. He is expected to be opposed by a candidate from the Republican Party and candidates from other parties, in an election scheduled for Tuesday, November 6, 2012.The campaign...
See also
- List of buildings and structures
- List of tallest buildings in Chicago
- List of tallest buildings in the United States
- List of tallest buildings in the world
- World's tallest structures