The inspiration for cylindrical towers most likely came from a railroad car. The name sticks, despite the architect wanting to call it something else.Ī brief history of 300 North State StreetĮvery owner of Chicago�s Block 1, from the king of Cobweb Castle to the railroad that sold it to Marina City. But �Marina City� is announced to the world. And there were going to be other complexes just like it in seven other cities. They were wrong about the price, number of buildings, number of floors, number of apartments, and number of boats. You really have to wonder if Marina City would have existed at all had its architect not very nearly been blown up in 1942. The post-war exodus to the suburbs was a trend no little plan could fix.īertrand Goldberg�s meandering path to Marina City To understand how Marina City and all of Chicago�s unique architecture took shape, we have to be familiar with the most significant event in Chicago architecture � the time the city was almost destroyed. It may be an important part of Chicago�s past but it is still relevant today. Marina City is a riches-to-rags-to-riches story.
After it was built, people moved in � and kept the story going through good times and bad.
The story of Chicago�s Marina City does not end in the 1960s.
