The city of Chicago, Illinois, is one that is lined with skyscrapers. One of the most famous of these skyscrapers is the John Hancock Center. Dubbed simply as 'Big John' by the locals, the John Hancock Center was completed in 1969 and stands 100 stories tall. It is known for its distinct X-shaped braces that serve as the decoration of the façade of the building as well. These braces allowed the engineers to construct the John Hancock Center in such a way that it would withstand the powerful wind forces that blow about in the Windy City.
Currently, the John Hancock Center is one of the many multifunctional skyscrapers that dot the Chicago skyline. It is home to 48 floors of apartments, 29 floors of office spaces, a hotel, swimming pool, a television and radio station, an ice skating rink, and numerous shops and boutiques.
The main attraction of the John Hancock Center is the Hancock Observatory. Located on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Center, the Observatory is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city of Chicago. On a clear day, visitors that visit the Hancock Observatory enjoy gazing at the open-air viewing deck called the SkyWalk, where they would be able to view four of the states located in the Midwest, namely, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan. There are also numerous mural chronicles which provide a graphical narration of the history of the city of Chicago from its humble beginnings as a marshland to the cosmopolitan city it is known today.