On your right, Accenture Tower rises up in a crisp slice of 1980s ambition. It’s pretty hard to miss-42 stories of glass and steel, just waiting for Chicago’s next dramatic moment. Before the Accenture name took over, folks called this the Northwestern Atrium Center, and then Citigroup Center. Architects at Murphy/Jahn gave it a late modernist look: all business and gleaming surfaces, no frills. Back in the ‘80s, the tower literally replaced history-the old 1911 North Western Station head house was demolished to clear the way. Air rights were snapped up like concert tickets, and construction began, costing a pretty chunk that would be even chunkier now thanks to inflation.
Inside, commuters stream in from Ogilvie Transportation Center, dodging coffee carts and suit-clad professionals. But it’s not all smooth corporate sailings… December 8, 2006, turned grim when a gunman stormed a law office on the 38th floor and killed three people before police ended the standoff. The building’s clean lines hide stories-some bold, some tragic. That’s modernity for you.
Alright, ready to keep rolling? Bank of America Plaza (Chicago) is straight ahead-just walk west for about 4 minutes.
