Diamond in the Rough

Posted by Steven (Chicagoland, United States) on 25 July 2008 in Architecture and Portfolio.

Smurfit-Stone Building is a 41 story, 582 foot (177 meter) skyscraper located at 150 North Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, Illinois. It was also known as the Stone Container Building and was formerly called the Associates Center. It is popularly referred to as the Diamond Building. Construction began in 1983 and was completed in 1984. The building, noted for its unusually slanted roof, was designed by Sheldon Schlegman of A. Epstein and Sons. The stated 41 floors do not actually include five unused levels in the building; they are located in the narrowest portion at the very peak of the diamond. Although the building looks as though it is split down the middle, the two sides are only slightly disjointed until nearing the top, where there is a gap between them. At times, its slanted roof — which has been likened to a skyscraper slashed with a knife — displays local sports slogans on its face, such as "GO BEARS" and "GO SOX". At the time of its construction the Smurfit-Stone Building was considered to be a smart building, with sophisticated environmental and security controls. An urban legend states that the building was designed to resemble a vagina, but a spokesperson for the architectural firm that designed the building denied that it was supposed to be an anti-phallic symbol. Photo taken July 13, 2008.