Uploaded September 2014 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
How does air conditioning work in the James R. Thompson Center? Most of the buildings in downtown Chicago use Thermal Chicago’s district cooling system to cool their buildings. Thermal Chicago makes ice and cools water that is pumped to Chicago’s downtown buildings to sustain their air conditioning units. The James R. Thompson Center is unique in that it is the onlybuilding in the Loop that makes its own ice, and doesn’t tap into the city’s system of cold water. Visit architecture.org/buildings to learn more about Chicago’s most iconic buildings and discover how Chicago’s rich architectural legacy was built.
How does air conditioning work in the James R. Thompson Center? Most of the buildings in downtown Chicago use Thermal Chicago’s district cooling system to cool their buildings. Thermal Chicago makes ice and cools water that is pumped to Chicago’s downtown buildings to sustain their air conditioning units. The James R. Thompson Center is unique in that it is the onlybuilding in the Loop that makes its own ice, and doesn’t tap into the city’s system of cold water. Visit architecture.org/buildings to learn more about Chicago’s most iconic buildings and discover how Chicago’s rich architectural legacy was built.
