Richard J. Daley Center
| Richard J. Daley Center | |
|---|---|
Skidmore Owings & Merrill Loebl, Schlossman, Bennett & Dart | |
| Main contractor | American Bridge Company, Gust K. Newberg Construction Co.[2] |
| Website | |
| thedaleycenter | |
| References | |
| [3][2] | |
The Richard J. Daley Center, also known by its open courtyard Daley Plaza and named after longtime
Situated on
Building features
The Richard J. Daley Center houses more than 120 court and hearing rooms as well as the Cook County Law Library, offices of the Clerk of the Circuit Court, and certain court-related divisions of the Sheriff's Department. The building also houses office space for both the city and Cook County, of which the City of Chicago is its seat of government. The windows are cor-ten steel and bronze/white tinted.
Daley Plaza
Daley Plaza is the courtyard adjacent to the building, occupying the southern half of the block occupied by the building.
The plaza is dominated by an untitled Cor-ten steel 50-foot (15 m) 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. The plaza also features an in-ground fountain and an eternal flame memorial to the dead from World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
The plaza serves as a location for many civic functions including weekly farmers' markets in the summer, regular ethnic festivals, and the meeting place for Chicago's Critical Mass ride.
The plaza was used extensively in the climactic scenes of the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. The interior of the building, as well as the plaza, the Picasso, and the neighboring James R. Thompson Center are also featured in the 1993 film The Fugitive and in 2006's The Lake House. While filming the movie The Dark Knight, instead of using the Chicago Board of Trade Building as the location for the headquarters of Wayne Enterprises as in Batman Begins, film director Christopher Nolan used the Richard J. Daley Center.
Farhad Khoiee-Abbasi, a public protester, is a frequent fixture at the northwest corner of the plaza, near City Hall. Khoiee-Abbasi has been photographed here many times, with his well-dressed appearance, his odd signs, and his general refusal to speak or acknowledge those around him making him a minor celebrity.[7][8]
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Pledge of Allegiance during May 24, 2008 Memorial Daywreath-laying ceremony at Daley Plaza. -
The water in the Daley Plaza fountain was dyed team red in honor of the Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup run in 2010. -
Christkindlmarket, in 2014. The traditional German market is held in Daley Plaza in December
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Richard J. Daley Center and Daley Plaza is Chicago's premier civic center and features a massive sculpture by Pablo Picasso. The modernist skyscraper courthouse is behind the sculpture and to the left is City Hall-County Building -
A view of the plaza at night.
Adjacent buildings
Adjacent to the Richard J. Daley Plaza is the landmark
Position in skyline
See also
- Chicago architecture
- List of buildings
- List of skyscrapers
- List of tallest buildings in Chicago
- List of tallest buildings in the United States
- World's tallest structure
References
- ^ "Richard J. Daley Center - The Skyscraper Center". Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Archived from the original on August 19, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ a b "Richard J. Daley Center". SkyscraperPage.
- ^ a b "Richard J. Daley Center". The Skyscraper Center. Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ Kamin, Blair. "An architecture critic sits on a jury at the Daley Center and sees its majesty with fresh eyes". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- ^ "Chicago Civic Center: Perspective View of Plaza". Art Institute of Chicago. 1963. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
- ^ "Daley Center". Public Building Commission of Chicago. Retrieved September 11, 2009.
- ^ Selecman, D.L. "Dan's people: One-on-one with the FBI sign guy". Reservoir Magazine.
- ^ Boose, Greg (April 17, 2009). "The Sign Guy Goes on Hunger Strike". The Huffington Post. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
External links
