While it's highly unlikely Chicago's Marina City towers would ever become fodder for the bulldozer, they are now a small step closer to having designated protective status.
The Commission on Chicago Landmarks is scheduled to discuss granting the iconic concrete corncobs preliminary status as Chicago landmarks on Thursday, according to DNAinfo. It's hard to believe this designation would not go through. The twin structures are an essential part of Chicago's skyline along the river. They are a fixture of any stroll along the east-west portion of Wacker Drive and are now a backdrop to the Riverwalk. Plus, they figure prominently in many tourist photos.
The twin structures were even featured on the cover of Wilco's fourth album, the much-lauded dad rock hallmark Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The Marina City towers were also chosen by tightrope walker Nik Wallenda for one of his latest high-wire stunts, which aired on the Discovery Channel.
What makes the Marina City towers special though, is they were designed by architect Bernard Goldberg. Goldberg isn't exactly a household name, but he was something of a contemporary with Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe and studied at the famous Bauhaus school in Germany. The Marina City towers are generally considered the crowning achievement of his career. They were completed in 1964.
The last time a Goldberg-designed building was up for preliminary landmark status, it met an unfortunate end. It was demolished. Perhaps you remember Northwestern University's Prentice Women's Hospital?
Photograph: Wikimedia Commons
The building, formerly located at 333 E Superior St in the Loop, was demolished in September last year and was cited by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as a lost historic site. It appears a different fate is in store for Chicago's corncobs.
We wouldn't mind if Marina City's House of Blues got torn down though. It's one of the ugliest buildings in Chicago.