Construction and context Merchandise Mart

merchandise mart under construction, 1929



merchandise mart in late 1969

in 1926, westward extension of double-deck wacker drive increased development on south riverbank. in 1927, marshall field & co. announced plans build on north bank opposite wacker drive. site, bordered orleans street, wells street, kinzie street , chicago river, formerly native american trading post , site of chicago , north western railway s former wells street station, abandoned in 1911 in favor of chicago , north western passenger terminal. railroad s air rights, site large enough accommodate largest building in world . removing train yard supported chicago plan commission s desire develop , beautify riverfront.

james simpson, president of marshall field & co. 1923 1930 , chairman of chicago plan commission 1926 1935, turned first shovels of dirt @ groundbreaking on august 16, 1928, along architect ernest graham. general contractor john w. griffiths & sons brought building construction machine age through use of techniques ordinarily used in construction of big dams. cement arriving boat lifted compressed air bins 75 feet (20 m) above ground, gravel , sand delivered railroad cars conveyor belts , transfer elevators. giant mixers provided wet concrete skip hoists in vertical towers extended building rose. continuously employing 2,500 men , many 5,700 men altogether, construction project lasted year , half months of great depression. foundation footprint of 2 square city blocks, building required 29 million bricks, 40 miles (64 km) of plumbing, 380 miles (610 km) of wiring, 4,000,000 cubic yards (3,100,000 m) of concrete, 200,000 cubic feet (5,700 m) of stone, , 4,000 windows. bethlehem steel fabricated of 60,000 tons of steel. estimated 7.5 miles (10 km) of corridors , on 30 elevators included in construction.