Daley Plaza Audio Guide

Daley Plaza: what does the audio guide cover?

1. 01

   Welcome to Daley Plaza

   Welcome to Daley Plaza, the open granite-paved courtyard in the heart of Chicago's Loop. Picture a city block bounded by Randolph Street on one side and Washington Street on the other, between Dearborn Street and Clark Street. The tall, rust-colored tower on the northern part of that block is the Richard J. Daley Center. The plaza fills the southern half, and it has been one of the city's favorite stages for gatherings, protests, and public events. The plaza sits right beside the seat of city government. Next door is the City Hall and County Building, which holds offices for the Mayor of Chicago and chambers for the Chicago City Council. Directly south of the Daley Center stands the Cook County Administration Building. So when you stand here, you are in the middle of a working civic district, with the courts, the city, and the county all within a few steps of one another. Over the next few stops, we will look at how this place was born, why that big rust-colored tower is so unusual, and the famous sculpture that makes the plaza instantly recognizable. We will also look at how the space has been used for everything from holiday markets to movie chases.

2. 02

   From Civic Center to Daley Center

   This place was not always called Daley Plaza. The complex began life as the Chicago Civic Center. Construction started on February 28, 1963, and the first occupants moved in during May 1965. It was the first major construction project of the Public Building Commission, and the 31-story tower stands 647 feet high. The whole project cost 87 million dollars, financed with revenue bonds. Then came a sudden change of name. Mayor Richard J. Daley died in office, and seven days later, on December 27, 1976, the Civic Center was rededicated and renamed in his honor. The tower became the Richard J. Daley Center, and the courtyard beside it became Daley Plaza. Today the building serves as many as 10,000 people a day. It houses offices and courtrooms for the Cook County Circuit Courts, along with office space for both the city and Cook County. So as you cross the plaza, you are walking through the front yard of one of the busiest civic buildings in Chicago.

3. 03

   A Tower That Rusts on Purpose

   Look up at the tower and notice its color. The Daley Center was the first building ever clad in untreated Cor-Ten steel. This steel is designed to rust over time, and the rust forms a natural patina that gives the building its distinctive reddish brown color. At the time, it was also Chicago's first major public building designed in a modern style rather than a classical one. The design is in the International Style, led by architect Jacques Brownson of C.F. Murphy Associates. His firm worked with Loebl, Schlossman and Bennett, and with Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. All of them were deeply influenced by the teachings of Mies van der Rohe, and you can feel that influence in the clean lines, which echo Mies's skyscrapers just a couple of blocks away. The real trick is hidden in the structure. Only 16 steel columns hold the building up. Twelve stand around the perimeter and four surround the elevator core. That means the interior spaces have no columns at all. The floors are carried by extra thick Warren trusses that cross spans of 87 feet by 48 feet.

4. 04

   The Picasso and Everything Else on the Plaza

   Now turn to the sculpture that anchors the plaza: the Chicago Picasso. It stands five stories tall and weighs 162 tons. Pablo Picasso designed a 42-inch model and presented it as a gift to the people of Chicago, and he accepted no fee. The sculpture itself cost more than 350,000 dollars, paid for by charitable foundations. United States Steel Corporation built it in Gary, Indiana. The company pre-assembled it there, took it apart, and shipped it to the plaza to be reassembled. It was unveiled on August 15, 1967. What is it? Art scholars have suggested it may be a portrait of Picasso's wife at the time, or his Afghan dog seen from different angles. Fans of Cubism say you can find a woman's head when you view it from certain angles. Walk around it and decide for yourself. The plaza around it has plenty of stories too. It hosts concerts, rallies, summer farmers' markets, and the Christkindlmarket in the holiday season. A permanent anchoring system was even installed for the city's Christmas tree. Hollywood has used it as well. In The Blues Brothers, the Bluesmobile crashes through the building's windows. Christopher Nolan used the Daley Center as the headquarters of Wayne Enterprises in The Dark Knight. The plaza also appears in Stranger than Fiction.

5. 05

   Before You Head Off

   Before you move on, take one more slow look around. Notice how the granite plaza opens up between the tall rust-colored tower and its neighbors, and how the Picasso sits at the center of it all. Count how many different shapes you can find in the sculpture as you circle it. Look for the quieter details too. The plaza has a fountain, large planters, and an eternal flame set in front of the flagpoles. Ceremonies have been held here as well, including a Memorial Day wreath-laying in 2008. And remember what the city council said in its resolution after the artist's death. It said Picasso became a permanent part of Chicago on the day the sculpture was unveiled, tied to a city he admired but never saw. Keep that in mind as you wander on through the Loop. Which way will you look first?