300 N. State Street
Marina City is a $36 million
project built completed in 1967 on 3 acres of land in the heart
of Chicago's Loop. The twin "corn cob" structures were
designed and built by Bertram Goldberg and are located just off
the Chicago River. Each of the round towers has an office
building, 450 apartments and a parking ramp that spirals
upwards, holding 450 cars. Each apartment is pie shaped, giving
every tenant a spectacular balcony-view of the city.
Marina City is referred to as
"the city within a city," as there is a 16-story
office building inside; a 1,750-seat theater and a 700-seat
auditorium; a grocery store, restaurants, bowling alley,
gymnasium, swimming pool, skating rink; a marina for 700 small
craft, and a sculpture garden at the base of the towers, all of
which overlook the Chicago River. The structure was built for 10
to 12 dollars per square foot.
When the buildings were built,
the 60-story pedal-ringed towers were the tallest concrete
structures in the world. Marina City's creator, Betrum Goldberg
attributed these words to the structure: "Our time.., has
made us aware that forces and strains flow in patterns which
have little relationship to the rectilinear concepts of the
Victorian engineers. We have become aware of the almost live
quality which our structures achieve, and we seek the forms
which give the most life to our structures."
Now, as of November 1996, Marina
City tenants have their very own restaurant/Night Club - The
House of Blues. The House of Blues is one of Chicago's
premier concert venues, hosting some of the worlds most famous
blues, jazz, funk, rap, swing and rock musicians in the world.
The upstairs music hall has a capacity of approximately 1,300
and has seen such acts as Aretha Franklin, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy,
10,000 Maniacs and the Insane Clown Posse. Adjacent to the HOB,
which sits directly between the two corn cob towers, is the
House of Blues Hotel.
Marina City is easily seen from
anywhere along the Chicago River in downtown Chicago. The
attraction is also a destination on city Trolley tours.
