Look up ahead-you’ll spot the Chase Tower because it absolutely dominates the skyline in front of you. It’s the tallest building around, with a blocky beige concrete “stem” running up the side, and a shiny blue curtain of glass taking up the rest of the face. There aren’t many skyscrapers this tall in Phoenix, so if you’re looking up and feeling a crick in your neck, you’re definitely in the right place.
Now, as you stand beneath the Chase Tower, just imagine the desert sun bouncing off all that glass and concrete.
Built in 1972, Chase Tower stands 40 stories tall-that’s higher than a saguaro is old! Its architects, Welton Becket and Fred M. Guirey, designed this skyscraper to look like a three-leaf clover with a single concrete stem. No luck needed to spot it, it takes up an entire city block!
Here’s a fun bit: the elevator core, that tall beige strip on the side, is rough concrete. The rest of the building is sparkling glass. Each “leaf” of the clover has its own floor count, but the north wing reaches up to 38 floors-the highest you can get before running out of air… or nerve.
History-wise, Chase Tower was originally Valley National Bank, then Bank One, and finally Chase. This building has changed names almost as often as I’ve lost my sunglasses in downtown Phoenix.
Imagine a time, just a few decades ago, when downtown Phoenix was quieter, and this tower rose up like a modern mirage. But in recent years, it’s had a few wild stories. There used to be a public observation deck on the 39th floor, where you could almost touch the clouds. Sadly, it’s now closed, but rumor has it the views up there made the desert look endless.
Oh, and get this-a guy calling himself “Pro-life Spiderman” climbed the tower without any safety gear in 2023. I get nervous just taking the elevator!
The Chase logo has been taken down, and nowadays the building stands empty-like a giant monument to all the dreams and deals that filled it for decades. Right now, no one knows what will come next for this giant, but standing here at its feet, you’re catching a bit of Phoenix’s storied past and uncertain future. Who knows, maybe one day, folks will be taking a tour of whatever comes next-maybe even a super-tall cactus farm.
Ready to head to the next landmark, or do you need a minute to rest your neck from all the skyscraper gazing?
