Tribune Tower

Tribune Tower Review

In 1922, after rejecting a slew of functional modern designs by such notables as Walter Gropius, Eliel Saarinen, and Adolf Loos, Chicago Tribune publisher Colonel Robert McCormick chose a Gothic design for the building that would house his paper. Embedded in the exterior walls of the tower are chunks of material taken from famous sites around the world. On the ground floor are the studios of WGN radio, part of the Chicago Tribune empire, which also includes WGN-TV, cable-television stations, and the Chicago Cubs. (Modesty was not one of Colonel McCormick's prime traits: WGN stands for the Tribune's self-bestowed nickname, World's Greatest Newspaper).