City and State: Chicago, Illinois
Listed: 1978
Type of district: National Register historic district
Main Intersection: East Wacker and Michigan Boulevard
Michigan Wacker National Register Nomination Report
The Michigan-Wacker Historic District is located at the northern end of the Loop in downtown Chicago, bordering the north and south banks of the Chicago River. Most of the buildings in the district are skyscraper office towers, many dating from the 1920s. The skyscrapers were primarily designed in styles popular in the early 20th century, including the Gothic and Baroque revivals. The Wrigley Building and the Tribune Tower are the most well-known of the historic examples, with the Tribune Tower façade actually including stones from historic buildings around the world. A handful of the towers were designed in distinctly modern idioms, including the Art Deco, granite and terra cotta sheathed Carbon and Carbide Building – now the Hard Rock Hotel.