300 South Wacker Drive

In a city known for its architecture, 300 South Wacker Drive was a forgettable contribution. The building was a typical structure of the 1970s: steel, glass, and very boring. It was overshadowed (literally and figuratively) by the Sears Tower, which sits kitty-corner.

Purchased by a Boston real estate firm in 2013, New York based ESI Design was tasked with transforming the 35-story tall slab of concrete on the building’s backside into a map of Chicago.

The map is simply done, with streets and the Chicago River represented in gray on a black surface. The only color is a bright red rectangle representing 300 Wacker’s location on the map. At night, the rectangle is the only part of the map that is lit up.