One of Chicago’s first and most notable International Style skyscrapers was designated an official City landmark today by City Council.

The Continental Center, 55 E. Jackson Blvd., received the designation 50 years after opening as the radically modernist headquarters of the Chicago-based Continental-National Insurance Group.

Designed by C. F. Murphy and Associates, the 23-story glass and steel structure was revolutionary within the context of the Loop’s 19th and early 20th century streetscapes when it was completed in 1962. Notable for an overtly geometric exterior and column-free interiors, its construction heralded a building boom that transformed Chicago’s skyline with a plethora of modernist high-rises.

The designation was recommended by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks last summer.

The designation report is available on the Department of Housing and Economic Development web site at www.cityofchicago.org/hed.

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