The Amoco Building

Katie Powell


To get to the Amoco building from the Pittsfield Building head east on East Washington Street towards North Garland Court. Turn Left at N Michigan Street. Then Turn Right at East Randolph Street. Continue on Upper Randolph Drive and Turn Left at North Stetson Avenue.
The Amoco Building was designed the Architect firm of Edward Durell Stone and was completed in 1973 with the title of the Standard Oil Building. Containing eight-three floors, when constructed, the Amoco Building was the tallest in Chicago. It was built with a V-Shaped steel frame that is used to resist the swaying of buildings in case of an earthquake. This is the same type of frame that was used in the construction of the World Trade Center in New York City. Originally the building was built using Italian Carrara Marble. The marble kept breaking off of the building and cracking though, so they put in stainless steel supports to help keep the marble intact. Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock. Seeming as how it is the result of limestone it contains calcite. Carrara marble is usually white or blue-gray in color, but other types come in white, pink, grey, or red.
After much difficulty with the marble facing on the building they decided to re-do it. As a result they refaced it with Mountain Airy White Granite. Granite is an intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. It is formed slowly under the surface of the Earth from molten rock, or magma. Granite can range in color from white, to pink, to grey or even black. It is a good construction stone because it is very tough and durable.
The Aon Center went through several name changes. Originally it was The Standard Oil Building, sold to the Blackstone Group, then renamed the Aon Building, then most recently sold to Wells Real Estate company.
Questions:
1. If we dropped HCL on the building right now would there be a reaction?
2. What rock group did this building initially belong to?