Located at the intersection of Wabash Avenue and East Wacker Drive facing the Chicago River, 35 East Wacker, also known as the Jewelers' Building, is a 40-story historic building. Co-designed by Joachim Giæver and Frederick P. Dinkelberg, it was built between 1925 and 1927. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest building in the world outside New York City, reaching a height of 523 feet.
The building features a main body of 23 stories and an 18-story tower. The first floor is clad in gray limestone, while almost the entire exterior above the first floor is clad in tan-colored terracotta. Its design reflects Italian Renaissance palace styles, moving from banded rustication on the first floor to open arches on the second and third floors, transitioning to more sophisticated features on the upper floors. The tower's design is eclectic, blending secular and ecclesiastical motifs, with details such as circular tondi and a lantern and dome atop the tower reflecting church models.
Currently being renovated by Goettsch Partners, the building's façade is being maintained while the interiors are being converted into a more modern configuration. This project has been recognized with awards by the City of Chicago and the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The dome at the top of the building once held a showroom and later housed the Stratosphere Club, a restaurant that opened in 1937.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
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