Aluminum cladding falls off Chicago’s Hancock building

CHICAGO (January 7, 2022) –  A large chunk of aluminum cladding fell off Chicago’s Hancock building, one of Chicago’s tallest buildings, Wednesday afternoon, landing in a planter on Chestnut Street. Luckily no one was injured, but the incident did leave neighbors and pedestrians in the area shaken up.

Representatives of the Hearn Company, owners and operators of the building formerly known as the John Hancock Center, and Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward) said high winds caused the piece that covers part of the building’s X-bracing to come off. The National Weather Service had warned of strong winds that day.

Those who were in in the area at the time witnessed people running in a panic and many were worried the piece had hit a person.

Block Club Chicago reports the cladding came off the second-to-lowest X-bracing on the Hancock and ricocheted off a lower window.

Workers with Hearn were sent to do and inspection of the damage on Thursday. Following the inspection, Hopkins said he believes the Hancock “is safe” and the aluminum piece coming off was a “freak incident.”

“We don’t think this is an indication of a trend that pieces are suddenly going to start falling off the building. We have no reason to believe that,” Hopkins told Block Club.

On Thursday, the aluminum piece had been removed from the street and there was yellow tape and “Caution Falling Ice” signs near where it had landed.

Hearn representatives provided a statement saying the event was an “isolated incident.”

“Our engineers have inspected the adjacent panels and have indicated they are secure,” spokesperson Tom Coffey said in the statement. “A more detailed inspection of the façade will take place as soon as weather conditions permit.”

Hopkins said inspectors must now check all the X-bracings to ensure this doesn’t happen again. However, the current weather prevents crews from performing detailed inspections immediately.

This is not the first time the Hancock building has been involved in a dangerous situation. In 2002, wind gusts tore off a piece of scaffolding from the building, killing three people, injuring eight, and crushing several cars.

Hopkins warned pedestrians to use caution when walking near tall buildings on windy days.