While the Sears/Willis Tower comes to mind when thinking of the Chicago skyline, one of its true jewels is the Marina City Towers. Designed by architect Bertrand Goldberg, the two towers were constructed between 1961 and 1968 and were designated as an official Chicago Landmark in 2016. Its unique modern design provided numerous amenities, including a marina, restaurants, shopping, auditorium, gym, parking, and office space, providing a “city within the city.”
Marina City was not the only circular structure designed by Goldberg. Between 1965 and 1967, he also designed several facilities at the Elgin State Hospital, located in a suburb west of Chicago. During the 1960s, the State of Illinois sought to modernize this aging mental health facility, which had occupied the site in various forms since the 1870s. Unfortunately, it now appears that Goldberg’s circular building may face demolition in the near future.
Although we would like to travel to Elgin to perform a laser scan of this building in anticipation of its potential demolition, our team will not be able to undertake the task. We want to inform others about the situation and hope that another team might be able to conduct the scan.
There is a Florida connection to Bertrand Goldberg, the former West Palm Beach Auditorium. This 5000-seat venue opened in September 1967 and became known as the “Leaky Teepee” due to its configuration and apparent leakage issues with South Florida storms.
The first video is a presentation of the Portland Cement Association and provides a fascinating look into the construction of the complex.
The Skyscraper Museum provides a lecture by the architect’s son, Geoff Goldberg.