The progressive suburbanisation of American cities after the end of the Second World War had serious consequences in the following decades. Downtown Chicago began to become depopulated and the imposing skyscrapers on the Chicago River canal were becoming little more than a tourist attraction. In the 1960s, efforts were made to create ideal apartment buildings to revitalise downtown. The result of the architects’ efforts was the Marina City complex, stunning in its modern form reminiscent of corncobs. Interestingly, twenty years later, the buildings were inspired by the Polish architects responsible for Katowice’s Kukurydze.
A city within a city
At the end of the 1950s, the union of cleaners and lift operators commissioned Bertrand Goldberg to design high-rise residential buildings that would draw residents back to downtown Chicago. In the architect’s mind was born the plan for a ‘city within a city’, a residential complex offering leisure, work and quality housing. Goldberg wanted to show that everyone’s dream should be to live in a high-rise building with a view of The Loop (downtown Chicago). This led to the design of Marina City in 1959, which was a complex of five buildings. The two 179-metre high towers are located right next to a theatre and an office building. The fifth element is the base of the skyscrapers, where restaurants and the marina (marina) are located. Furthermore, bowling alleys, an ice rink and a cinema, among others, could be found in various parts of the buildings. At the time of completion, the buildings were the tallest residential skyscrapers in the world.
Marina City is above all a Brutalist icon of Chicago. After all, Goldberg was a disciple of one of the fathers of the modern approach to architecture – Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. It is worth noting, however, that the display of concrete was a functional rather than an aesthetic endeavour. Of course, the ubiquitous use of this material was intended to emphasise modernity, but in Goldberg’s design it is the form, not the material, that is most important. The architect wanted his building to resemble natural shapes, hence the idea of corn cobs growing in the great fields of Illinois. However, the inspiration from nature does not end with the dominant shape of the corn, but also manifests itself in the details.
At the core of the building is a large cylindrical volume in which the lift shafts are hidden. From the centre are residential sections divided into 16 rows. As in nature, there are no right angles in the Marina City flats. The unusual shape of the units ensures that everyone has access to the right amount of sunlight. The layout of the flats also guarantees a panoramic balcony for each flat. There are 900 flats in both buildings, and the lower floors are dedicated to parking. Interestingly, the 20th floor separates the parking area from the residential area with a terrace and laundry facilities.
Concrete innovations
In the 1960s, Marina City was intended to be a breath of modernity that stood out against the art déco skyscrapers. The technological sophistication of the complex could be felt as soon as you stepped into the lift, which covers a distance of two floors in a second. This means that the ascent to the roof of the skyscraper takes just 33 seconds. In addition, each flat is equipped with its own heating and air-conditioning system, and the entire complex uses only electricity. Separate gas installations would be more costly.
Other parts of the complex also benefited from innovative solutions. The theatre was capable of live broadcasts and there were three more smaller cinema halls below the main auditorium. The concrete structure was well soundproofed, turning the building into a television studio in the following decades. In the 21st century, the venue was bought by the House of Blues theatre chain, which restored it to its former character.
The office building hanging above the lower block is a display of the ingenuity of engineer Frank Kornacker. The structure is based on an exoskeleton suspended from two concrete pillars. In fact, further concrete pillars retract into the lower block. Interestingly, the excess heat from the building’s lighting circulates in a closed circuit, which has succeeded in reducing heating costs.
All these amenities made Marina City an ideal complex. After working downtown, one could take a quick lift back to the flat, enjoy the view and then take advantage of the many activities available in the lower buildings. The union was keen not only to bring in residents from the transitions, but also the 24-hour life of the complex. Hence the wide range of attractions.
Maize exports to Poland
The residential high-rises also became the inspiration for the Katowice project by Henryk Buszka and Aleksander Franta. However, the famous Cornucopias are not a copy of Goldberg’s idea, as the Polish architects introduced many improvements to the construction of the Cornucopias. The individual “rows” of the Katowice skyscrapers have been extended from the block, making room for more flats inside. You can read more about the Polish project HERE.
Today, the flats are offered as condominiums and are still affordable. Despite the passage of 56 years since its completion, the complex maintains a good standard of flats, which only confirms the timelessness of 1960s modernism. Following the success of Marina City, Goldberg designed several other estates in Chicago that also stand out for their functionality. The River City complex deserves a mention, but there will be time for a text about it.
Source: Bertrand Goldberg
Also read: Architecture | Curiosities | Brutalism | Modernism | Skyscraper | United States | whiteMAD on Instagram
