Hancock Observatory and Tower in Chicago, Illinois

The John Hancock Tower and Observatory in Chicago, Illinois is a 100 foot tall skyscraper. The building was designed by Fazlur Khan, a structural engineer, working for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, and Bruce Graham of Architect and Design Partners. The structure is the third tallest building in Chicago and the fifth tallest in America. From the ground floor to the top of its antenna, the structure is 1,500 feet tall, inside there are offices, condominiums and restaurants.

The architecture and design highlights of the structure are what make the building so unique. The building design by Khan was done to eliminate the need to use columns for support, which in turn freed up more space to be used on the interior of the building. The design of the building made minimal use of steel and as a result, saved an estimated $15 million. In addition, the building is designed to withstand winds of up to 132 miles-per-hour, and the outer skin of the building is composed of black aluminum and bronze colored window panes, which are glare resistant. The shape of the building is a wedge, which gives the impression of the structure being taller than it actually is.

During the peak of the buildings construction over 2,000 people had worked on the project. The structure took three years, 46,000 tons of steel and five million man hours to complete. The four corners of the building weigh 100 tons apiece and the aluminum used on the building is enough to cover over twelve football fields in length.

The John Hancock Observatory is located on the top floor of the John Hancock Tower. From here visitors are provided with the best views of the city. The building is one of only twenty-nine worldwide with membership to the World Federation of Great Towers. The open-air Skywalk is the only one of its kind in Chicago and the only viewing tower located in the heart of downtown Chicago.

Visitors to the Skywalk can actually feel why Chicago is called the "Windy City'', there is no glass, but instead the entire area is enclosed and protected by reinforced steel screens. Guests can look around the sites and use a narrated telescope which provides commentary in English, Spanish, Japanese and French. Walking through the observatory, there is a history wall which details all the major events tracing the history of the city.

The tour guides hired to take groups around the building provide visitors with a fully narrated commentary that allows them to experience Chicago like never before. Visitors will ride up in the fastest elevators in North America, which ascend at a rate of 1,800 feet per minute. Every month, the Observatory hosts an event of interest to people of all age groups. Visiting the John Hancock Observatory and Tower is a unique way to see the sites around Chicago, during both the day and night.