Richard J. Daley Center
between Randolph & Washington
Chicago
Illinois

C.F. Murphy with SOM and Loebl, Schlossman & Bennett 1965

Gerard Wolfe, author of Chicago: In and Around the Loop, Walking Tours of Architecture and History, writes: "[t]he imposing tower, designed by Jacques Brownson, of C.F. Murphy Associates, represents possibly the finest example of the International Style in America." Clad with Cor-Ten, a self-weathering steel, and complimented by a Cor-Ten Picasso sculpture in Daley Plaza, the Daley Center’s 31 stories exert a quiet dignity and material antidote to shiny glass-and-steel contemporaries.

C.F. Murphy and SOM are both important contributors to Chicago’s built environment; this project is an yet another example of the constant formation and reformation of architectural offices and collaborations.

The Daley Center was built to house more than 120 court and hearing rooms, a law library, and office space. Each bay is 87’ wide and 48’ deep, with 12’ high windows. It stands 648’ tall, generous for 31 stories. In the AIA Guide to Chicago, Terry Tatum writes: "In its logic and execution, the resulting structure resembles a beautifully detailed bridge."

Christy Rogers, 1998

How to visit

Downtown Chicago is best negotiated by foot or train. The closest loop stop is Clark or Washington.

The Daley Center is graced with a matching Cor-Ten Picasso sculpture in the plaza, a terrific place for a take-out lunch on a bright summer day. It is also just next to Murphy's more recent Thompson Center.