Field Building (Chicago)

The Field Building, also known as the LaSalle National Bank Building and Bank of America Building^[1] is an art deco office building at 135 South LaSalle Street in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois in the United States. The building was designated a Chicago Landmark February 9, 1994.^[2]

History and description

The construction of the Field Building was completed 1934 as a 535 feet (163 m) 45-storey skyscraper on the site bounded by South Clark Street, South LaSalle Street and West Adams Street. The architect was the firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst & White. It is considered the last major office building erected in Chicago prior to the Great Depression/World War II construction hiatus which ended with the building of One Prudential Plaza in 1955.^[2]

Many of the latest innovations such as high-speed elevators and air conditioning were incorporated into the building’s design. The lobby features a multi-level arcade between LaSalle and Clark Streets allowing pedestrians to walk between the two streets and access the retail space without exiting the building. The elevator indicator panel and mailbox in the lobby are in an integrated design which resembles the building’s exterior shape.

The building rises from a four-story base that covers the entire site. The exterior of the first story is faced in polished black granite. Windows are framed with polished aluminum or monel metal and have black and polished aluminum spandrel panels. The entrances on the east and west facades rise the entire height of the base and are also framed in black granite. Five pilasters faced in white Yule marble separate the bays containing revolving doors that provide access to the lobby.

The upper stories are sheathed in limestone with windows grouped vertically and recessed to emphasize the building’s height. The 45-story rectangular tower is centered on the base and buttressed by a shorter 22-story tower at each of its four corners.^[3]

Several buildings occupied this site until construction commenced in 1931. The world's first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building (1884-1931), occupied the western portion facing LaSalle and Adams Streets.^[4]

Utilization

Much of the building's rentable area was occupied by the LaSalle Bank, with the remainder occupied by various private tenants. In 2007, LaSalle Bank was sold by its European owner ABN AMRO to Bank of America and the building's name changed to the Bank of America Building. In August 2008, the Bank sold the building to AmTrust but continues to occupy 800,000 feet (240,000 m) of the 1,200,000 square feet (110,000 m²) in the building under a lease that runs through 2020.^[5][6]

Mechanical spaces are located at the 25th and 45th floor levels. The 43rd and 44th floors house executive dining rooms for use by the bank and selected other tenants, with a cafeteria located on the concourse level. The west side of the ground floor is utilized by Bank of America for retail banking, with the east side rented to merchants. The rest of the floors consist of typical office space. As was customary in the 1930s, the building does not have a 13th floor.

See also

• Yule marble

References

Notes

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Field Building (Chicago).

• Information and drawing on SkyscraperPage