Century Tower was designed in 1929 and finished construction in 1930. It was the last Chicago skyscraper to break ground before the Stock Market Crash of 1929. Although the Great Depression did not greatly affect the construction of the building, it did eventually drive the building’s patron, the Trustees System Service, to declare bankruptcy.

"Century of Progress" by Payton Chung is licensed under CC BY 2.0

At the time, Century Tower was one of the first non-industrial buildings located on the northwest side of the Loop. Wacker Drive and the bridges over the Chicago River had just been constructed, driving investors to finance new buildings in the area.

Century Tower’s construction was greatly affected by the 1923 Chicago Zoning Ordinance, which specified a 264’ height limit for all buildings. Buildings could exceed this height only if their volume decreased proportionally as they grew taller. This led to Century Tower’s unique shape: a 264’ base with a 337’ tower on top.

"Chicago zoning envelope illustration" by Payton Chung is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Century Tower was also affected by another policy of the era: Prohibition. This led to the operation of a speakeasy on the building’s 23rd floor. It was called the Skyline Restaurant and existed from 1930 until the repeal of Prohibition in 1933.