Merchandise Mart
| Merchandise Mart | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| General information | |
| Type | Mixed |
| Location | 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago, Illinois |
| Coordinates | 41°53′18″N 87°38′08″W / 41.8884°N 87.6355°WCoordinates: 41°53′18″N 87°38′08″W / 41.8884°N 87.6355°W |
| Construction started | August 16, 1928 |
| Completed | 1930 |
| Opening | May 5, 1930 |
| Owner | Vornado Realty Trust |
| Height | |
| Roof | 340 ft (100 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 18 base, 25 tower |
| Floor area | 4,000,000 square feet (372,000 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Graham, Anderson, Probst and White |
| Main contractor | John W. Griffiths & Sons |
The Merchandise Mart (or the Merch Mart, or the Mart) is a commercial building located in the Near North Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. When it opened in 1930, it was the largest building in the world, with 4,000,000 square feet (372,000 m2) of floor space. The art deco landmark is located at the junction of the Chicago River's branches. The building is a leading retailing and wholesale destination, hosting 20,000 visitors and tenants per day as of the late 2000s.
Built by Marshall Field & Co. and later owned for over half a century by the Kennedy family, the Mart centralized Chicago's wholesale goods business by consolidating architectural and interior design vendors and trades under a single roof. It has since become home to several other enterprises, including the Shops at the Mart, the Chicago campus of the Illinois Institute of Art, Motorola Mobility, and the Chicago tech startup center 1871.
The Merchandise Mart is so large that it had its own ZIP code (60654) until 2008, when the Postal Service assigned it to part of the surrounding area. In 2010, the building opened its Design Center showrooms to the public for the first time.
In 1926, a westward extension of double-deck Wacker Drive increased development on the south riverbank. In 1927, Marshall Field & Co. announced its plans to build on the north bank opposite Wacker Drive. The site, bordered by Orleans Street, Wells Street, Kinzie Street and the Chicago River, was formerly a Native American trading post and the site of Chicago and North Western Railway's former Wells Street Station, abandoned in 1911 in favor of the Chicago and North Western Passenger Terminal. With the railroad's air rights, the site was large enough to accommodate "the largest building in the world". Removing the train yard supported the Chicago Plan Commission's desire to develop and beautify the riverfront.
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