Chicago Temple Building

A neo-Gothic spire atop a skyscraper — Chicago's oldest Methodist congregation housed in a 1920s high-rise.

The Chicago Temple is one of the most unusual buildings in the Loop district — a neo-Gothic church spire crowning a 29-story office tower. Designed by Holabird & Roche between 1922 and 1923 for the Methodist Episcopal Congregation, the city's oldest church community, the building stands 169 meters tall. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest church building in the world. The eighth-floor chapel and the sky-chapel beneath the spire are open to visitors. Today the Chicago Temple balances an active congregation with its role as an architectural landmark in the heart of downtown.