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| Richard J. Daley Center |
Richard J. Daley Center is Chicago's premier civic center and features a massive sculpture by Pablo Picasso.
A view of the plaza at night.
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The Richard J. Daley Center, also known by its courtyard Daley Plaza and named after longtime mayor Richard J. Daley, is the premier civic center of the City of Chicago in Illinois. Situated on Randolph and Washington Streets between Dearborn and Clark Streets, the Richard J. Daley Center is considered one of Chicago's architectural highlights. The main building was designed in the international architectural style by Jacques Brownson of the firm C. F. Murphy Associates and completed in 1965. At the time it was the tallest building in Chicago, but only held this title for four years until the John Hancock Center was completed. The 648-foot, thirty-one story building features Cor-Ten, a self-weathering steel. Cor-Ten was designed to rust, actually strengthening the structure and giving the building its distinctive red and brown color. The Daley Center has 30 floors, and is the tallest building in the world with fewer than 40 stories (a typical 648-foot building would have 50-60 stories).
[edit] Features
The Richard J. Daley Center houses more than 120 court and hearing rooms as well as the official law library of the City of Chicago. The building also houses office space for both the city and Cook County, of which the City of Chicago is its seat of government. In the middle of Daley Plaza, the building's courtyard, is an untitled Cor-ten steel 50-foot sculpture by Pablo Picasso (usually called The Picasso). Completed in 1967, it was a gift to the City of Chicago from the artist. Though controversial for its abstract form, it quickly became a Chicago landmark.
[edit] Adjacent buildings
Adjacent to the Richard J. Daley Plaza is the landmark Chicago City Hall. Declared a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it houses offices for the Mayor of Chicago, aldermen of Chicago's various wards and chambers for the Chicago City Council. Directly south of the Daley Center is the Cook County Administration Building which is full of office space for County employees. Block 37 containing 108 North State Street is to the east.
[edit] Position in skyline
[edit] See also
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