You’ve seen it. Even if you don’t know the address, you’ve definitely seen that weird, sweeping curve rising up from the middle of the Loop. It looks like a giant skateboard ramp for a god, or maybe just a very expensive mistake in a blueprint that someone decided to build anyway. That’s 10 S Dearborn Chicago, better known as Chase Tower.
Honestly, most people just walk past it on their way to a meeting or a better-known landmark like the Bean. They see the fountain, maybe glance at the massive colorful mural in the plaza, and keep moving. That’s a mistake. This isn't just another glass box in a city full of them; it’s a 60-story engineering flex that basically redefined how Chicagoans interact with the "sunken" parts of their city.
The Curve That Almost Wasn't
Back in the late 60s, architects weren’t exactly known for being playful. You had the Bauhaus guys doing straight lines and right angles everywhere. Then came C.F. Murphy Associates and Perkins & Will. They decided that a bank headquarters didn't need to look like a fortress. They wanted something that felt... lighter?
The building's signature "inward-sweeping" curve is its most famous trait. It recedes more than 100 feet from the base to the top. If you stand at the bottom and look up, it feels like the building is leaning away from you, trying to catch its breath. It was the tallest building in the world outside of New York when it finished in 1969.
People forget that 10 S Dearborn Chicago was originally the First National Bank of Chicago. It wasn't always "Chase." In fact, it’s had a bit of an identity crisis over the decades. First National, then Bank One, and now Chase. Despite the name changes, the structure remains one of the most recognizable silhouettes in the skyline.
Why You Should Care About the Plaza
The real magic of 10 S Dearborn Chicago isn't actually inside the building. It’s the deep, sunken plaza.
Chicago has a thing for plazas, but this one is different. It’s an entire city block bounded by Clark, Dearborn, Madison, and Monroe. While the street level is chaotic and loud, the plaza feels like a secret garden—if that garden were made of granite and jet fountains.
Expert Insight: The plaza is officially known as Exelon Plaza, but locals just call it the Chase Tower Plaza. It’s one of the few places in the Loop where you can actually hear yourself think during rush hour.
Then there’s the Chagall.
You can’t talk about 10 S Dearborn Chicago without mentioning The Four Seasons. It’s a 70-foot-long mosaic by Marc Chagall, and it is absolutely massive. It’s made of thousands of inlaid chips in over 250 colors. Chagall actually came to Chicago to finish it, and he kept changing the design as he saw the city skyline evolve. He even added bits of native Chicago brick into the mosaic.
It depicts scenes of Chicago, but in that trippy, surrealist way Chagall is known for. Lovers flying, weird fish, bright suns. It’s 128 panels of pure vibrance sitting right in the middle of a gray financial district.
The 2026 Reality: A Massive Face-Lift
If you’ve been near 10 S Dearborn Chicago lately, you’ve probably seen the construction crews. JPMorgan Chase didn't just decide to slap some new paint on the walls. They are in the middle of a multi-year, half-billion-dollar renovation that is basically stripping the building down to its bones and rebuilding the experience.
Why? Because the way we work changed.
A 1960s office layout doesn't work for 2026. The renovation, designed by the folks at Gensler, is turning the tower into a "vertical campus." We're talking:
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- A brand new fitness center with yoga and cycling studios (because apparently, bankers need to Zen out too).
- A modernized food hall that actually serves healthy stuff, not just sad deli sandwiches.
- A world-class client center on the top floors with views that make the Willis Tower look like a basement.
- Massive upgrades to the elevators using "destination dispatch" technology. You basically tell a screen where you're going, and it tells you which car to get on. No more hitting a button and praying.
They are also aiming for LEED Certification. This means automatic faucets that save 35% more water and carbon-neutral carpets. It’s a huge deal for a building this old to try and go green.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception about 10 S Dearborn Chicago is that it's just a private office building.
"I can't go in there," people think.
While you can't just wander into the executive suites on the 50th floor without an invite, the base of the building is very much a public asset. The Chase branch on the ground floor is one of the busiest in the country. The plaza is open to anyone. You can sit by the fountain, eat your lunch, and stare at the Chagall for hours if you want.
Also, people often confuse this building with the Inland Steel Building or the Federal Center. While they share that "International Style" DNA, the curve is the dead giveaway. If it looks like it’s doing a backbend, you’re at 10 S Dearborn.
Navigating the Space
If you're visiting, here is the lowdown on how to actually enjoy the site without looking like a lost tourist:
- The Sunken Entry: Don't just stay on the sidewalk. Take the stairs or the ramp down into the plaza. The perspective shift of looking up at the Loop from below street level is wild.
- The Fountain: It’s a jet fountain. In the summer, the mist is a lifesaver. In the winter, it’s a frozen sculpture.
- The Chagall Wrap-Around: Walk all the way around the mosaic. Most people just look at the front side. The scenes change as you move, and the details in the "winter" section are particularly cool.
- Commuter Hack: If you’re taking the 'L', the building is literally the tallest thing inside the Loop tracks. Use it as your North Star if you get disoriented coming out of the Washington/Wells or Monroe stations.
The Business Impact
It isn't just a pretty face. 10 S Dearborn Chicago is an economic engine. JPMorgan Chase employs about 14,500 people in the Chicagoland area, and nearly half of them are tied to this building.
A Deloitte study recently showed that the firm contributes nearly $5 billion annually to the city’s economy. When a building like this gets a renovation, it’s not just about new desks; it’s a signal that the big players are staying in the Loop instead of fleeing to the West Loop or the suburbs.
Your Next Steps
Planning to check it out? Here is what you should actually do:
Check the weather before you commit to the plaza. It’s a wind tunnel in October. If it’s nasty out, head inside to the main Chase branch just to see the scale of the lobby. It’s enormous.
If you’re an architecture nerd, pair your visit with a walk two blocks south to the Federal Plaza to see Alexander Calder’s Flamingo. It’s a great way to compare two different approaches to "Plaza Art" from the same era.
Lastly, grab a coffee at one of the nearby spots—The Dearborn is a great tavern nearby—and just sit in the sunken plaza for twenty minutes. It’s the best people-watching spot in the city. You’ll see everyone from high-powered lawyers to street performers, all filtered through the lens of a 1960s architectural dream.
Go see the curve for yourself. It’s better in person.