| Address | 55 East Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL |
|---|---|
| Built | 1961-62 |
| Architect | C.F. Murphy Associates |
| Status | Designated Chicago Landmark |
| Designation Date | June 27, 2012 (Final)City Council Journal of the Proceedings, p. 30600 |
| Neighborhood | Loop |
| Type | Office and commercial building |
| Landmark ID | L-329 |
Interior spaces protected by this designation
- The original first-floor building lobby of the building (see plan).
- The significant features of the building's original first-floor building lobby include, but are not limited to, the overall historic spatial volume of the original lobby and historic decorative wall, floor, and ceiling materials, finishes and ornamentation, including, but not limited to, original granite wall covering and flooring.
- The steel curtain walls and original gray-tinted windows remain intact, as do the glass walls enclosing the lobby and the steel structural columns at the building's base.
- These partition walls separate the extant central lobby space from commercial and retail spaces on either side.
Not covered by the designation
- For purposes of Commission permit review, the portions of the building's first-floor interior that were not part of the original first-floor building lobby are not considered part of the significant features.
- In addition, later additions to the original first-floor building lobby, including the current concierge desk and "water wall” in the building lobby, as well as build-outs and furnishings associated with current retail tenants, are not considered signfiicant features for the purpose of this designation.
Direct quotes from the Chicago Landmark Designation Report
“The Continental Center was one of the earliest skyscrapers to be constructed in the Loop in a modern architectural style, symbolizing the city's efforts in the post-war era to encourage private investment and revitalization in its aging historic core.”
“He left in 1960 to work for C.F. Murphy, where he was associated with several large projects, including the Continental Center, a restoration and addition to the Northern Trust Building, and as a member of the team that designed the First National Bank of Chicago Building.”
“C.F. Murphy designed, or was associated with, many of the City's most significant public commissions during the building boom of this period, including terminals at O'Hare International Airport, Chicago's Central District Water Filtration Plant, the Daley Center, and the second McCormick Place convention center.”
“At the time of its construction, the Continental Center's design was revolutionary within the context of the Loop's 19th and early 20th century streetscapes, and it was widely published in national magazines, journals, and books.”
“Continental acquired the National Fire Insurance Company of Hartford in 1956, forming what became known as the Continental-National Insurance Group. In that year, the combined net premiums of the three companies—Continental Casualty, Continental Assurance, and National Fire Insurance was close to $415 million dollars.”
“Building Description The Continental Center at 55 E. Jackson Boulevard is an outstanding example of an International Style skyscraper that was influenced by the architectural principles of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and his followers, whose International Style skyscrapers transformed skylines in Chicago and throughout the world from the 1950s through the 1970s.”
“The Continental Center remains an outstanding example of a glass-and-steel skyscraper designed in the International Style and has excellent exterior integrity. The steel curtain walls and original gray-tinted windows remain intact, as do the glass walls enclosing the lobby and the steel structural columns at the building's base.”
“The Continental Center is an important building designed by C.F. Murphy Associates, one of the largest and most prolific modernist firms in Chicago during the 1960s and 1970s.”
“Most employees of the Continental Casualty and Continental Assurance Companies moved to the new building upon its completion, joined by 400 employees of the western office of the National Fire Insurance Company, which moved from the Insurance Exchange Building at 175 W. Jackson.”
“Stretching between these columns are 42-foot spandrel girders, creating building bays that were considered exceptionally wide in its day. All of the Continental Center's connections are welded, rather than riveted, making it the largest all-welded building when completed in 1962.”