Chicago Cityscape This panoramic aerial photograph of Chicago was taken was taken by Christopher Gjevre. It features a twilight view of downtown Chicago as seen from Lake Michigan, the third largest of the Great Lakes and the only Great Lake entirely in the United States. The tallest building on the left is the 1454-foot, 110 floor Willis Tower. The tallest building on the right is the John Hancock Building. The ferris wheel is located on the popular Navy Pier. The city of Chicago was incorporated in 1837 and is the third largest in hte United States.