John Hancock Center, Chicago
This building is the fourth tallest skyscraper in Chicago and the seventh highest in the United States. It was designed by architect Bruce Graham and engineer Fazlur Khan, both from the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. The John Hancock Center was completed in 1970 at a cost $100 million. The steel supports used to reinforce the building’s facade helped reduce the amount of metal in the construction. Nevertheless, the building can withstand winds of up to 120 mph. The 100-storey skyscraper is 1,127 feet high (344m) and contains offices and restaurants. The black steel X-bracing and the two rooftop antennas, which bring the total height up to 1,506 feet (459m), make the building clearly visible from Lake Michigan and a distinctive feature in the Chicago skyline. The John Hancock Center is located at the northern end of the Magnificent Mile.