Who designed Marina City?

Architect Bertrand Goldberg designed the complex as a multi-use urban development.

What was the purpose behind building the complex?

The development was conceived as a self-contained city to draw residents back to the city centre, combining apartments, parking, a marina, and commercial amenities.

Why do the towers look like corncobs?

The cylindrical structure and rounded cantilevered balconies give the towers an exterior pattern resembling corncobs.

Why are the buildings called the Wilco Towers?

The complex appeared prominently on the cover of an album by the band Wilco, giving rise to the informal nickname.

Where is Marina City situated?

The complex is located on State Street along the north bank of the Chicago River, directly across from the Loop.

Chicago · United States

Marina City: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

Bertrand Goldberg designed these residential towers as an integrated urban enclave with lower-level vehicle ramps and water access.

Marina City · CC BY-SA 4.0

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About the place

Bertrand Goldberg planned the towers as an urban community to bring residents directly into the central district.

Architect Bertrand Goldberg designed the complex on State Street as an integrated community to draw residents back into downtown. Financed largely by a union of building janitors and elevator operators, the structure combined residential apartments, parking ramps, commercial offices, and boat slips into a unified development. Petal-shaped concrete floor plans replaced traditional square rooms while providing wide balconies.

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Daily life on site relied on self-contained amenities including a bowling alley, an ice rink, a theater, retail storefronts, and recreational facilities. Climbing cranes handled the concrete construction, setting engineering precedents for downtown towers nationwide. Television and radio stations maintained studios and transmission antennas within the towers, embedding broadcast media infrastructure directly into the residential site.

Designated as a municipal landmark, the cylindrical towers earned widespread recognition across popular media, appearing in television opening sequences and on rock album covers. Media commentary frequently links the fluted exterior profile to rural corncobs. The distinctive spiral vehicle ramps also served as the backdrop for motion picture stunts, including cinematic car pursuits that ended in the adjacent river channel.

Associations

Bertrand GoldbergArchitect who conceived the complex as a self-contained concrete community.
Corncob TowersPopular nickname derived from the scalloped shape of the exterior balconies.
Exposed Parking RampsCurved garage tiers lack enclosed exterior walls above the river channel.
Wilco TowersMoniker adopted after the structure appeared on a rock band album cover.
Janitors UnionLabor union that funded the original construction to revive central residency.

Facts

The complex was financed largely by a labor union representing building janitors and elevator operators to combat urban flight.
The complex introduced climbing tower cranes to high-rise building construction in the United States.
Television and radio stations operated transmission antennas and broadcast studios directly on the premises.
Portions of the riverside structure hold official municipal landmark designation.

Updated September 10, 2026Source: Wikipedia

Marina City: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

What is around29

Bertrand Goldberg planned the towers as an urban community to bring residents directly into the central district.

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