Big John, and does X really mark the best spot??

I love this path.  It’s located in a wonderful park that, on one hand allows you to stroll peacefully along a large pond.  There goes a duck, the odd geese, and, um “Big John”!  One must just simply ‘look up………….way up’ to see part of the Chicago skyline looming in the distance.  What an interesting dichotomy, I think.  “Big John” as it is known to some, is the “John Hanock Center”.  And what a building it is!  On an architectural tour, our fun-fact-filled guide provided us with a little fyi I still find rather hard to grasp.

He described the building in detail; the structure has on its exterior what is known as an “X-bracing exterior”.  Without getting too technical (because I don’t roll that way) this design assists the building with reducing interior columns which creates more floor space.  So far so good I think.  However, his next point had me feeling that I needed to stare at him to show my disbelief.  But I couldn’t because he was standing in front of the sun and I’d rather skip the eye pain as opposed to making my staring, “I don’t believe you for a second, pal” look.  He told our group that if you just happen to be a tenant in the building that has the “X” factor across your particular window, this is considered a status symbol.

Yes, you may all stare collectively.  I’ll wait.

Now that we are all back on the same page (ha, literally!) I must confess I find this likened to the “Emperor’s New Clothes” story from my childhood.  Whilst the emperor strolled about the town in full naked regalia, the townsfolk convinced themselves that his um, “cloak” was spectacular, fit for an emperor, so regal, and…………  Okay, whoever told the tenants at the John Hancock Center having a blocked window view was very posh was attempting to sell an emperor’s dream.

The late Chris Farley lived there, God rest his soul.  Jerry Springer has a pad in the higher rung of the building.

Jerry, do you have an “x marks the spot” adorning your cityscape view?  I sure hope not.  You have enough on your show to hide your eyes from, don’t you? 🙂