James R. Thompson Center - wikipedia James R. Thompson Center `` The template Infobox building is being considered for merging. '' Show map of Chicago metropolitan area Show map of Illinois Show map of the US Show all General information Town or city Loop district, Chicago, Illinois Country United States Coordinates 41 ° 53 ′ 07 '' N 87 ° 37 ′ 54 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 41.88528 ° N 87.63167 ° W ﻿ / 41.88528 ; - 87.63167 Coordinates : 41 ° 53 ′ 07 '' N 87 ° 37 ′ 54 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 41.88528 ° N 87.63167 ° W ﻿ / 41.88528 ; - 87.63167 Completed May, 1985 Client Illinois state government Technical details Floor count 17 Design and construction Architect Helmut Jahn The James R. Thompson Center ( JRTC ) is located at 100 W. Randolph Street in the Loop district of Chicago and houses offices of the Illinois state government. Contents 1 History 2 Design 3 Nearby transportation 4 Art 5 Proposed sale 6 Tenants 7 In popular culture 8 Sherman House Hotel 9 See also 10 References 11 External links History The building opened in May 1985 as the State of Illinois Center. It was renamed in 1993 to honor former Illinois Republican Governor James R. Thompson. The property takes up the entire block bound by Randolph, Lake, Clark and LaSalle Streets, one of the 35 full - size city blocks within Chicago 's Loop. In front of the Thompson Center is a sculpture, Monument With Standing Beast, by Jean Dubuffet. The Thompson Center is sometimes referred to as the State of Illinois Building. On February 13, 2018, Chicago Police Commander Paul Bauer was shot and killed, allegedly by Shomari Legghette, while Bauer was pursuing a suspect down a stairwell of the Thompson Center. Thompson Center behind City Hall ( from the Daley Center ) Inside view of the Thompson Center Design The Thompson Center was designed by Helmut Jahn of Murphy / Jahn now called JAHN Architects. It opened to mixed reviews by critics, ranging from `` outrageous '' to `` wonderful ''. The color of the street - level panels were compared to tomato soup. The 17 - story, all - glass exterior curves and slopes facing a plaza on the southeast corner of the property. The design simultaneity looks forward with advanced architectural tectonics ( of the time ) and back to recapture the grandeur of large public spaces. Visitors to the Thompson Center 's interior can see all 17 floors layered partway around the building 's immense skylit atrium. The open - plan offices on each floor are supposed to carry the message of `` an open government in action. '' Originally, the design called for curved, insulated ( double paned ) glass panels, but these were found to be prohibitively expensive. Flat, insulated glass had been suggested, but was dismissed by Jahn. Single - paned ( non-insulated ), curved glass panels were eventually used, and resulted in the need for a more expensive air conditioning system, which remains very costly to operate, and is insufficient on hot days ; internal temperatures have reached as high as 90 ° F ( 32 ° C ). The building is also bitterly cold in the winter ; in its early years, ice formed on the interior of some of the wall panels. The marble floor of the atrium initially developed unsightly water stains, an issue which has since been resolved. Nearby transportation The Clark / Lake ' L ' station, the busiest in the system, is housed between the Thompson Center and the 203 N. LaSalle building across the street. Orange, Green, Blue, Pink, Purple and Brown Line trains stop at the center. Three tunnels of the Chicago Pedway enter the building 's food - court concourse, connecting from to 203 North LaSalle Street, the Chicago Title and Trust Company and Chicago City Hall. Art The sculpture at the front entrance by French artist Jean Dubuffet sets the tone for this building that houses a tremendous art collection. The collection includes nineteen specially commissioned artworks funded by the State of Illinois Art - in - Architecture Program. The building also has over 150 of the state 's 600 works collected under the Percent for Art program. Under this program 0.5 % of the money designated for construction of state - funded public buildings is used for the purchase of art. The Illinois Artisan 's shop is also housed inside the building. Proposed Sale When he first came to office, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich proposed selling the building to assuage the state budget. The proposal was heavily criticized. Lawmakers at first agreed to the plan, but later a $200 million mortgage was agreed to instead, payable over 10 years. The plan was declared unconstitutional by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan in June 2004. The plan was set aside, although it had already cost the state $532,000 in legal fees. In 2015, and again in 2017, Governor Bruce Rauner also proposed selling the property, and a legislative committee to explore his request was announced by Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan in February 2017. Tenants Chicago district office of the Governor of Illinois ( Suite 16 - 100 ) Illinois Court of Claims ( Suite 10 - 400 ) Illinois House Republican Staff ( Suite 16 - 700 ) Illinois State Board of Education ( Suite 14 - 300 ) In popular culture The Thompson Center has been a filming location in several motion pictures, including 2000 's The Watcher and 1990 's The Kid Who Loved Christmas, The climax of 1986 's Running Scared was filmed there. Sherman House Hotel The location was previously the location of the Sherman House Hotel operated by Ernie Byfield. The hotel was demolished in 1973 and the site was used as a parking lot until the Thompson Center was constructed. See also Chicago architecture References Jump up ^ `` Chicago police commander gunned down in Loop while pursuing a suspect ''. Chicago Tribune. February 13, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Felon Wearing Body Armor ' Executed ' Chicago Police Cmdr. After Struggle in Thompson Center Stairwell ''. NBC. February 14, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Repeat Writings on Architecture : Helmut Jahn returns to IIT ''. lynnbecker.com. Retrieved 17 January 2015. Jump up ^ `` Pictorial Chicago ''. brainsnack.net. Retrieved 17 January 2015. Jump up ^ `` Monument with Standing Beast ''. Retrieved 2007 - 06 - 06. Jump up ^ `` Permanent Art Collection ''. Illinois Department of Central Management Services. 2007. Retrieved 2007 - 06 - 06. ^ Jump up to : Ramsey, Mike ( 2007 - 10 - 09 ). `` Durbin cautions of gaming effects ''. Peoria Journal Star. Archived from the original on 2007 - 10 - 14. Retrieved 2008 - 11 - 09. Jump up ^ Patterson, John ( 2003 - 11 - 21 ). `` A Thompson Center teardown ? Potential buyers of office center in Chicago want to demolish the building ''. Arlington Heights Daily Herald. Retrieved 2008 - 11 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Senate GOP leader criticizes mortgaging of Thompson Center ''. Chicago Sun - Times. 2004 - 02 - 14. Retrieved 2008 - 11 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Illinois Governor Attacks Attorney General over Objection to Center Mortgage ''. Chicago Tribune. 2004 - 06 - 04. Retrieved 2008 - 11 - 09. Jump up ^ McKinney, Dave ; Chris Fusco ( 2004 - 08 - 27 ). `` Thompson Center plan cost state $532,000 : Blagojevich has no regrets about failed mortgage effort ''. Chicago Sun - Times. Retrieved 2008 - 11 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Gov. Rauner Puts Thompson Center Up for Sale Chicago Tonight WTTW ''. Chicagotonight.wttw.com. 2017 - 08 - 21. Retrieved 2017 - 11 - 18. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Jump up ^ Home page. Illinois Court of Claims. Retrieved on March 26, 2014. Jump up ^ Home page. Illinois House Republican Staff. Jump up ^ Home page Archived 2014 - 02 - 09 at the Wayback Machine... Illinois State Board of Education. Retrieved on March 23, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Sherman House Hotel - WTTW Chicago Public Media - Television and Interactive ''. wttw.com. Retrieved 17 January 2015. External links Commerce, Culture, & State Offices Under Glass Commerce, Culture, & State Offices Under Glass James R. Thompson Center New York Times Travel Guide Chicago James R. Thompson Center Emporis.com page Google Maps page Chicago skyscrapers Tallest buildings 875 North Michigan Avenue Aon Center Franklin Center Trump International Hotel and Tower Two Prudential Plaza Willis Tower Selected buildings with 20 or more floors 35 East Wacker 55 East Erie Street 77 West Wacker Drive 111 South Wacker Drive 155 North Wacker 181 West Madison Street 311 South Wacker Drive 330 North Wabash 333 North Michigan 333 Wacker Drive 340 on the Park 401 East Ontario 500 West Madison 860 -- 880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments 900 North Michigan 1700 East 56th Street ABN AMRO Plaza Allerton Hotel Aqua Bilandic Building The Blackstone Hotel Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower Boeing International Headquarters Carbide & Carbon Building The Chandler Chase Tower Chicago Board of Trade Building Chicago Place Chicago Temple Building City Hall Square Building Civic Opera House Coast at Lakeshore East CNA Center Crain Communications Building Dirksen Federal Building Field Building Fisher Building FOUR40 Four Seasons Hotel Chicago Grant Thornton Tower Harbor Point Hilton Chicago Home Insurance Building Hyatt Center James R. Thompson Center Joffrey Tower Kluczynski Federal Building Lake Point Tower The Lancaster LaSalle - Wacker Building Legacy Tower Leo Burnett Building London Guarantee Building Marina City Masonic Temple Mather Tower Metropolitan Tower Montauk Building NBC Tower Olympia Centre One Magnificent Mile One Museum Park One North LaSalle One North Wacker One Prudential Plaza Optima Signature Outer Drive East Palmer House Hotel Palmolive Building Park Tower The Parkshore Peoples Gas Building Pittsfield Building Plaza 440 Powhatan Apartments Presidential Towers The Regatta Regents Park Richard J. Daley Center River East Center Roanoke Building and Tower The Shoreham Skybridge The Buckingham The Fordham The Heritage at Millennium Park The Grant The Pinnacle Three First National Plaza The Tides Time - Life Building Tribune Tower Virgin Hotels Chicago Waldorf Astoria Chicago Water Tower Place Wrigley Building Chicago Landmark skyscrapers with 12 or more floors 300 West Adams Building The Arc at Old Colony Auditorium Building Brooks Building Bryn Mawr Apartment Hotel Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building Chicago Building Gage Group Buildings Heyworth Building Hilliard Towers Apartments Inland Steel Building Manhattan Building Marquette Building Marshall Field and Company Building Monadnock Building Mundelein College Skyscraper Building New York Life Insurance Building Reliance Building Rookery Building See also Architecture Art Deco Chicago City Hall Chicago School Tallest buildings Washington Block Shopping malls in Illinois Cook County Chicago 108 North State Street 900 North Michigan Century Centre Chinatown Square Ford City Mall Harper Court James R. Thompson Center Navy Pier Roosevelt Collection The Shops at North Bridge Shops at the Mart Six Corners Water Tower Place Elsewhere The Arboretum of South Barrington Arlington Town Square Chicago Ridge Mall Fashion Outlets of Chicago Forest Park Plaza The Glen Town Center Golf Mill Shopping Center Harlem Irving Plaza Lincolnwood Town Center North Riverside Park Mall Northbrook Court Oak Mill Mall Orland Park Crossing Orland Park Place Orland Square Mall Plaza del Lago Randhurst Village River Oaks Center The Streets of Woodfield Town & Country Center Westfield Old Orchard Woodfield Mall DuPage County Fox Valley Mall The Grove North Park Mall Oakbrook Center Stratford Square Mall Town Square Wheaton Yorktown Center Kane County Algonquin Commons Chicago Premium Outlets Galleria Center Geneva Commons The Quad St. Charles Spring Hill Mall Lake County Belvidere Discount Mall Deer Park Town Center Deerbrook Mall Deerfield Square Gurnee Mills Hawthorn Mall Lincolnshire Commons Market Square The Quentin Collection Renaissance Place Will County Louis Joliet Mall The Promenade Bolingbrook Rockford Area Cherryvale Mall Colonial Village Mall Machesney Park Mall Peoria Area East Court Village Northwoods Mall The Shoppes at Grand Prairie Champaign - Urbana Area Market Place Shopping Center Urbana - Lincoln Hotel - Lincoln Square Mall Bloomington - Normal Area Eastland Mall The Shoppes at College Hills East St. Louis Area Alton Square Mall St. Clair Square Elsewhere Cross County Mall Crystal Point Mall Hickory Point Mall Illinois Star Centre Lincoln Mall ( Freeport ) Northfield Square Northland Mall Peru Mall Quincy Mall Sandburg Mall SouthPark Mall Times Square Shopping Center University Mall Village Mall White Oaks Mall Defunct 1800 N. Clybourn Brementown Mall Brickyard Mall Chicago Place Chicagoland Outlets Dixie Square Mall Hillcrest Shopping Center Huntley Outlet Center Jefferson Square Mall Lakehurst Mall Lincoln Mall ( Matteson ) Meadows Town Mall North Pier Old Chicago Park Forest Plaza Piano Factory Outlet Mall The Plaza South Commons Mall St. Charles Mall Washington Square Mall West Point Center Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_R._Thompson_Center&oldid=835691233 '' Categories : Government buildings in Chicago Skyscraper office buildings in Chicago State government buildings in the United States Government buildings completed in 1985 Office buildings completed in 1985 1980s architecture in the United States Helmut Jahn buildings Postmodern architecture in the United States Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from November 2017 Articles with dead external links from January 2018 Articles with permanently dead external links Webarchive template wayback links Coordinates on Wikidata All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from November 2008 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Français Simple English Edit links This page was last edited on 10 April 2018, at 05 : 44. 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Question: what is the thompson center in chicago illinois
Answer: houses offices of the Illinois state government