CNA Center in Chicago, Illinois

myminifactory

One of the most frequently asked questions we get is, "What's that prominent red building in the middle of Chicago's skyline?" The answer is CNA Center. Although it stands 44 stories tall, which isn't unusually massive by Chicago standards, its location on Wabash Avenue makes a significant impact. It's situated just one block from Michigan Avenue and Grant Park's vast green space, making it stand out like a fire alarm in the skyline. The people running CNA Center apparently have a great sense of humor about their building, which is unusual for Chicago. During a 2004 renovation of the lobby, pedestrians found the entrances difficult to locate. To address this issue, "Enter Here" was clearly marked on the entrances while other parts of the black plywood wall featured a yellow dashed outline of a person and the legend "Don't enter here. You'll get splinters." In spite of its garish color, CNA Center doesn't draw much attention like a beauty queen who stands among other contestants beaming and waving. However, in 1999, the story was different. A shard of glass fell from a 29th floor window and killed a woman on the opposite side of Wabash Avenue. Following an investigation, it was discovered that the window had been cracked for months and that the building had experienced more than 20 years of cracking windows. The glass used in the structure couldn't handle the level of thermal expansion it experienced, and at the time the victim was impaled by the glass, over 40 windows were cracked. As a result, the building's owner paid a significant fine to the city, settled a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family, and replaced all 3,000 windows in the building. Although its red color is unusual, it's not Chicago's oldest colored skyscraper. There's a bright blue skyscraper on LaSalle Street, but because it's surrounded by other buildings, most people don't notice it. Construction start: 1972 Construction finish: 1973 Designed by: Graham, Anderson, Probst & White Type: Skyscraper Stories: 44 Maximum Height: 601 feet / 183 meters Statistics: Rentable floor space: 1,100,000 square feet Timeline: June 28, 1994: A piece of glass fell from a window and injured Scott Cowan on the sidewalk below. October 8, 1999: A piece of glass fell from a window and killed Ana Flores on the sidewalk across the street. December 8, 2007: Giant "CNA" logos were added to the top of this building. This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help. Scanned: Photogrammetry (Processed using Agisoft PhotoScan)