Took long enough, didn't it?
The Commission on Chicago Landmarks designated the Marina City towers as landmarks to be preserved Thursday afternoon, DNAinfo Chicago reports. This completes a lengthy, albeit breezy process that began in July, when architect Bertrand Goldberg's masterpiece was first considered for landmark status at a public hearing.
In addition to being regular favorites on Instagram, the pair of buildings have figured prominently in Chicago's identity at home and abroad. The "corncobs" were the cover art for Wilco's landmark album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and were crossed last year by daredevil Nik Wallenda, who walked between them while blindfolded on a tightrope.
The towers were designed by Goldberg in 1959 and construction of the complex was completed in 1968. At the time of their completion, the 65-story towers were the tallest residential buildings in the world. The Marina City complex, which includes the Chicago House of Blues, is widely considered the pinnacle of Goldberg's career.
The majority of the Marina City complex was granted landmark status, ensuring those buildings will be preserved for years to come.
The same commission considered another Goldberg building, the Northwestern University's Prentice Women's Hospital, for landmark status, but it ended up being demolished.