Trump International Hotel & Tower
A sleek glass giant, one of the tallest buildings in America.
Key facts
- Completed 2009
- Architect: Adrian Smith of SOM
- Stands 1,388 ft to the tip of its spire
- Second-tallest building in Chicago
- Setbacks match the heights of older neighbors
Narration transcript
Rising high on your right is one of the newest and tallest giants on the river, the Trump International Hotel and Tower, completed in 2009. At one thousand three hundred and eighty-eight feet to the tip of its spire, it is the second-tallest building in Chicago and one of the tallest in the whole country. It was designed by architect Adrian Smith, who also designed the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Notice how the tower is not a single straight shaft. Instead it steps back three times as it climbs, getting slimmer as it goes up. That was not just for looks. Each of those setbacks was carefully lined up to match the height of an important older building nearby, so the new skyscraper would tip its hat to its historic neighbors, like the Wrigley Building and Marina City. Its shimmering glass skin reflects the sky and the river, changing color throughout the day. Family tip: see if the kids can count the three steps as it rises. It is a fun way to notice how architects fit brand-new towers in among the old.