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In the course of our daily reporting, we often uncover unusual projects, places, or connections that don't make the final cut. Instead of keeping it to ourselves, we're pleased to share our weeky architrivia.
According to Guinness World Records, the Chicago Home Insurance Building became the world's first skyscraper upon completion in 1884. At 138 feet or 42 metres, the building doesn't exactly reach our current skyscraper standard of 150 metres (or 492 feet), but the combination of a load-bearing steel frame supporting a masonry facade was an architectural breakthrough. An additional two storeys were added to the William LeBaron Jenney-designed building in 1890, bringing the total height to 180 feet. While this landmark building was torn down in 1931, visitors to the Windy City can still visit Burnham & Root's The Rookery, which was completed in 1888 and also employed the novel new steel frame system to support 12 storeys and an aesthetic masonry facade.
Do you have building trivia to share? Join the conversation in the Architrivia Tipline thread in our Forum.
