Who designed the skyscraper?

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed the tower in the International Style, with C. F. Murphy acting as associate architect.

What is the architectural importance of the tower?

The structure was the final Chicago commission designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe before his death, holding recognition as a Chicago Landmark and a listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Where does the structure stand?

The tower occupies a riverbank site in the River North district, set along the northern side of the Chicago River between Wabash Avenue and State Street.

How is the tower occupied today?

A luxury hotel occupies the lower section, while the remaining upper levels serve as corporate offices.

What materials were imported for the lobby?

Italian travertine marble was quarried near Rome and aligned so that stone grain patterns matched across the ground interior.

Chicago · United States

330 North Wabash: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

Tenants and hotel guests cross an exposed lakeside plaza off Wabash Avenue each morning, trading shelter from winter gusts for floor-to-ceiling glass views of Lake Michigan.

AMA Plaza · CC BY-SA 4.0

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About the place

AMA Plaza represents the final architectural statement designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in Chicago.

Commissioned as corporate offices for IBM, the International Style tower arose from collaboration between Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and associate architect C. F. Murphy. Mies positioned the dark steel structure away from the northern riverbank, reserving open riverfront space for a public plaza and protecting sightlines toward Lake Michigan. The site plan also required closing an adjacent roadway section along Wabash Avenue.

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Following the death of Mies, firm associate Bruno Conterato assumed control of construction alongside architect Dirk Lohan. Conterato introduced an insulated curtain wall designed to halt moisture intrusion and improve energy efficiency. For the interior ground lobby, builders quarried Italian travertine marble in Rome, matching the directional veining across slabs to establish uniform architectural surfaces throughout.

The completed high-rise originally held corporate headquarters alongside tenants such as Arthur Young. A subsequent redevelopment converted the lower stories into the Langham hotel, while the remaining upper stories continue to operate as commercial offices. The structure holds official status as a designated Chicago Landmark and maintains an individual listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Associations

Ludwig Mies van der RoheThe architect completed his final Chicago high-rise drawings for this tower.
The LanghamHotel suites occupy lower floors while upper stories house corporate offices.
Boomerang plotThe irregular parcel was so awkwardly shaped that Mies questioned where to build.
Travertine lobbyArchitects quarried stone in Rome and aligned graining across the slabs.

Facts

The skyscraper was the final building designed in Chicago by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
IBM originally commissioned the skyscraper to house its regional corporate headquarters.
Builders quarried travertine marble in Rome to align the natural grain across the lobby slabs.
The lower stories operate as the Langham hotel while upper levels remain commercial offices.
The structure holds designation as an official Chicago Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Updated September 9, 2026Source: Wikipedia

330 North Wabash: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

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AMA Plaza represents the final architectural statement designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in Chicago.

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