One of Chicago's most recognizable buildings, the John Hancock Center, must alter its name. It seems like just yesterday when Chicagoans were informed that their treasured skyscraper, formerly the highest structure in the world, would no longer be known as the Sears Tower. As it turns out, the honor is now owned by a different building.
The John Hancock Center is so named because it was once the flagship store for the insurance company John Hancock. The company still does business under that name, but not from this building. Instead, they are located in another Chicago skyscraper called the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower).
In case you're wondering why the original Sears Tower was given this honorary title instead of the Willis Tower, it's because the insurance company decided to give away their new trademark name before selling the building to an actual owner. Thus, while the John Hancock Center is officially designated as such, it is more commonly known as the Sears Tower.
During the 1960s and 1970s, he rose to prominence with his designs for Chicago's 100-story John Hancock Center and the 110-story Sears Tower, later renamed Willis Tower and the tallest structure in the world from 1973 until 1998. Although he died before they were completed, both buildings are landmarks of the Chicago skyline.
Fazlur Rahman was born on March 20, 1911 in New Delhi, India. His father was a prominent civil engineer who helped build many bridges in India while his mother was a well-known poetess. He had two brothers who also became architects. The family moved to England when he was a child so that his father could take up a job with the Public Works Department of the government there. It was here that he learned about architecture school when he entered Cambridge University at the age of 17. After graduating in 1933, he went to Germany where he worked as an architect for two years.
Back in England, he began teaching at the Royal College of Art where he would remain for the next 40 years. During this time, he also started his own practice which included such projects as private homes, libraries, and offices. In 1963, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
In 1969, he received a commission from Chicago's new department of planning and development management to redesign parts of the city center.
The John Hancock Center, located in Chicago, Illinois, is a 100-story, 1,128-foot supertall skyscraper. On February 12, 2018, the name of this building in the Magnificent Mile neighborhood was changed to 875 North Michigan Avenue. Despite this, the structure is still known informally as the John Hancock Center.
It was built from 1959 to 1970 and originally named The John Hancock Building after its primary tenant, an insurance company. It was the first high-rise to be constructed without any interior supports inside the body of the tower - instead, there are only exterior support columns at the base and top. The building is also notable for being one of the first in Chicago to include an indoor parking garage.
When it was completed, the John Hancock Center was the tallest free-standing concrete structure in the world. It has been surpassed by several other buildings, but it remains a prominent feature of the city's landscape today. The building was designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White and built by the Cermak Construction Company. The total cost of construction was $40 million ($150 million in 2017 dollars). The building was sold to property developer Galen Gifford in 1997 for $70 million.
Gifford planned to convert some of the offices into luxury apartments, but he went bankrupt in 2001. In 2003, investors bought the building for $125 million and planned to convert it into a boutique hotel.
It was the highest skyscraper in Chicago until the Willis Tower overtook it. It is the 13th highest structure in the United States, the tallest building built in the world in the 1960s, and the first skyscraper in the world outside of New York City to reach at least 1,000 feet (305 m).
The Hancock Building is also one of the most innovative buildings of its time. It was the first tall building to have an exterior walkway, the first to use air conditioning, and the first with electrical car ports. In addition, there are more than 5,000 windows in the building!
In conclusion, the Hancock Building is 2 inches (5 cm) taller than the next tallest building in Chicago, which isn't very much. However, it represents a significant advancement in the development of high-rise architecture.
THE STRUCTURE The John Hancock Center, located at 175 East Delaware Place, was erected in 1969. It is Chicago's second highest residential skyscraper and the third tallest in the United States. There is an indoor pool, a fitness facility, a party room, a library, and storage lockers in the building. A car service takes residents to their cars which are parked under the building.
THE COMPANY John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company was founded in 1875 by John Hancock, who had emigrated from England with his family when he was 10 years old. He worked for a merchant until he was 21 years old before he opened his own store. By the time he was 30, he had become one of the wealthiest men in Illinois. Over the next few decades, he became one of the most influential as well. In 1951, after serving as president of the University of Chicago for five years, he was elected president of the American Institute of Banking. Two years later, he stepped down as president but remained on the board of directors. In 1958, he was elected chairman of the board, a position he held until his death in 1970. During his tenure, the company more than doubled its assets to $150 million. After his death, his son Robert W. Hancock took over the company.
Today, John Hancock offers three types of insurance: life, health, and auto. It is the largest provider of group life policies in the country.
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