One Prudential Plaza in Chicago, Illinois

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Nothing screams 1950s architecture like a massive limestone box with an equipment penthouse perched atop. An entire generation of architects, not just in Chicago, was obsessed with square stone, white, or glass boxes. The result is towers that resemble this one. Lifeless from afar, they might as well hold cattle or cardboard boxes, failing to translate the imagination and inspiration of the human spirit into architectural form. They fail to soar skyward, instead constraining people inside; obedient paper-pushers in their cubicle farm hell. While that may seem harsh, it's buildings like this that reflect not the grand spirit of freedom but the conformity that inspired so many Soviet-era apartment blocks in Eastern Europe. Still, One Prudential Plaza isn't without merit. To start, it transformed a dirty rail yard into productive commercial space. Further, this was the first skyscraper erected in the city after World War II, which should count for something. Moreover, the building features a work of art. The Prudential company's Rock of Gibraltar logo is in relief with gold accents on the lower extension of the building, executed by Alfonso Ianelli. Construction began in 1952 and finished in 1955, designed by Ness and Murphy. Renovations took place in 1968 by C.F. Murphy and Associates. This skyscraper boasts 41 stories and reaches a maximum height of 912 feet or 278 meters. Statistics show the building has rentable floor space of 1,200,000 square feet. A notable milestone occurred in September 2010 when this building was named #29 on Chicago Magazine's list of the Top 40 Buildings in Chicago.