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333 South Wabash

For CNA's current headquarters, now called CNA Center, see 151 North Franklin.

333 South Wabash (formerly CNA Center and Northern Trust Tower;[2] also known as The Red) is a 600-ft (183 m), 44-story skyscraper located at 333 South Wabash Avenue in the central business district of Chicago, Illinois.

Description

333 South Wabash is a simple, rectangular International Style building, but it is unique in that the entire building was painted bright red by Eagle Painting & Maintenance Company, Inc., turning an otherwise ordinary-looking structure into one of the most eye-catching buildings in the city. It was designed by the firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst & White and was completed in 1972.[1]

Occupants

As of 2014, CNA occupied 65 percent of the tower.[3] Other occupants included The Chicago Housing Authority, United Way and Akuna Capital.[3][4][5]

In August 2017, Buck and Northern Trust announced an agreement for the bank to lease 465,000 square feet (43,200 m2) of the building. The lease, which includes signage and naming rights, was to consolidate approximately 2,500 to 3,000 Northern Trust workers from several sites around Chicago and take place in 2020.[6]

History

Originally known as Continental Center III, in reference to the original moniker of CNA Financial Corporation, Continental National American Group,[7] both CNA Center (formerly CNA Plaza) and the neighboring CNA Center North (Continental Center II, built in 1962 at 55 East Jackson Blvd.) adjoined and were painted red. The shorter red building was later restored to its original gray tone in 1999.[8] The two buildings remain joined at the second floor: CNA's Conference Center uses space on that floor, but all entrance and egress to it is through CNA Center.[citation needed] The company's previous headquarters from 1943 to 1962 had been Metropolitan Tower (310 South Michigan Avenue, aka Continental Center I).[9]

In 1999, a large fragment of a window fell from the building and killed a woman walking with her child. Windows had been cracking at the building ever since it had been built in 1975 due to thermal stress of uneven heating caused by the building's inset windows. CNA Financial, a property insurance company, later paid $18 million to settle the resultant lawsuit. All of the building's windows were replaced in an expensive retrofit.[10][11]

333 South Wabash became a Chicago Landmark in 2012.[12] CNA decided to sell the building in 2015 after relocating to 151 North Franklin,[2][13] and the John Buck Company acquired the building in March 2016 for $108 million.[14][15] Buck planned to redevelop the building.[2]

In January 2020, a joint venture between Michael Shvo's firm SHVO, Deutsche Finance, and BLG Capital agreed to buy the building for $370 million.[16][17] Hayden Hall, a food court in the building, opened the same month[18] but closed shortly afterward due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[19] The sale of the building was finalized that August for $376 million.[20][21] Hayden Hall reopened in 2024,[19] Following a renovation the next year, designed by HOK, 333 South Wabash was rebranded as The Red.[22][23]

Lighted window messages

Chicago skyline with the 333 South Wabash (far left) showing the Chicago Blackhawks' logo, the Smurfit-Stone Building saying Go Hawks and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower saying Hawks Win the night after the 2009–10 Chicago Blackhawks won the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, viewed from the Petrillo Music Shell lawn in Grant Park

Utilizing a combination of lights on/off and 1,600 window blinds open/closed (and sometimes foamboard cutouts), the windows on 333 South Wabash are often used to display lighted window messages, typically denoting holidays, remembrances, and other events denoting Chicago civic pride, such as when the Blackhawks played in and won the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals and when the Cubs made their 2016 World Series run. Building engineers use a computer program to plot which windows need to be lighted to create the proper message.[24][25]

Position in Chicago's skyline

The skyline of a city with many large skyscrapers; in the foreground is a green park and a lake with many sailboats moored on it. Over 30 of the skyscrapers and some park features are labeled.311 South WackerWillis TowerChicago Board of Trade Building111 South WackerAT&T Corporate CenterKluczynski Federal Building333 South WabashChase TowerThree First National PlazaMid-Continental PlazaRichard J. Daley CenterChicago Title and Trust Center77 West WackerPittsfield BuildingLeo Burnett BuildingThe Heritage at Millennium ParkCrain Communications BuildingIBM PlazaOne Prudential PlazaTwo Prudential PlazaAon CenterBlue Cross and Blue Shield Tower340 on the ParkPark TowerOlympia Centre900 North MichiganJohn Hancock CenterWater Tower PlaceHarbor PointThe ParkshoreNorth Pier ApartmentsLake Point TowerJay Pritzker PavilionBuckingham FountainLake MichiganLake MichiganLake Michigan
Gallery
  • Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October 2005
    Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October 2005
  • December 2005, "gift" of a wrapped present design reflecting the winter holidays.
    December 2005, "gift" of a wrapped present design reflecting the winter holidays.
  • 333 South Wabash cheers the Chicago Bears
    333 South Wabash cheers the Chicago Bears
  • Lighted window message for New Year's Eve 2007
    Lighted window message for New Year's Eve 2007
  • CNA's building with wording formed by office lights through windows "Go Cubs Go".
    CNA's building with wording formed by office lights through windows "Go Cubs Go".

References

  1. ^ a b c d CNA Plaza[usurped] on Emporis.com
  2. ^ a b c Ori, Ryan (December 16, 2015). "CNA selling 'Big Red,' moving HQ to new office tower". Crain's Chicago Business. Archived from the original on August 23, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Daniels, Steve (March 24, 2014). "Why jobs and revenue are going opposite directions at CNA". Crain's Chicago Business.
  4. ^ Tekippe, Abraham (December 14, 2012). "United Way moving to CNA Center". Crain's Chicago Business.
  5. ^ "Akuna Capital signed tax break deal with state of Illinois estimated to be worth $4.5M". Illinois Policy. May 23, 2017. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  6. ^ Ori, Robert (August 9, 2017). "CNA building gets new tenant — and maybe a new name — as Northern Trust signs deal". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on September 3, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  7. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 11, 2007. Retrieved January 17, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ "CNA Plaza North". Emporis. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  9. ^ "Landmark Designation Report" (PDF). Commission on Chicago Landmarks. July 7, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  10. ^ Chicago Architecture Info CNA Center Archived July 15, 2014, at the Wayback Machine Accessed July 13, 2014
  11. ^ Kiernan, Louise (February 14, 2002). "CNA window death settled for $18 million". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  12. ^ Bey, Lee (April 4, 2025). "Downtown's Big Red gets new flavor". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  13. ^ "CNA to Sell 1M-SF "Big Red" Office Building". Connect CRE. November 30, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  14. ^ Yerak, Becky (March 25, 2016). "CNA sells Loop headquarters for $108 million". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  15. ^ "The John Buck Company completes $108M acquisition of CNA building". REJournals – Commercial real estate news. Archived from the original on December 11, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  16. ^ Rogal, Brian; Chicago, Bisnow (January 22, 2020). "333 South Wabash Sells For $370M, Raising Hopes The Investment Office Market Is Back". Bisnow. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  17. ^ Ecker, Danny (January 22, 2020). "Revamped 'Big Red' selling for $370 million". Crain's Chicago Business. Archived from the original on August 15, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  18. ^ Selvam, Ashok (January 30, 2020). "Explore the New Loop Food Hall Inspired by the 1893 World's Fair". Eater Chicago. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  19. ^ a b Nelson, Sam (June 26, 2024). "Hayden Hall, Closed Since COVID's Start, Reopens With New Vendors and Owners". Eater Chicago. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  20. ^ Ecker, Danny (August 13, 2020). "$376 million deal for downtown's 'Big Red' closes". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  21. ^ Miller, Ben (August 13, 2020). "$376 million sale of Chicago's 333 South Wabash building is closed". The Business Journals. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  22. ^ Bey, Lee (April 4, 2025). "Downtown's Big Red gets new flavor". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  23. ^ GlobeNewswire (March 20, 2025). "Iconic '333 South Wabash' Building Reborn as 'The Red'". SHVO. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  24. ^ Ecker, Danny (June 12, 2013). "Chicago buildings showing Blackhawks pride during Final". Crain'S Chicago Business. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  25. ^ Rumore, Kori; Berlin, Jonathon (October 27, 2016). "How Chicago's iconic buildings light up for the Cubs". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on September 3, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2018.