Phoenix Skyline Buildings Guide: Every Tower in the Model

Quick answer: The Phoenix skyline is young, low, and framed by the Sonoran Desert. Our hand-printed Phoenix skyline captures the downtown core, from Chase Tower (the tallest building in Arizona) to the BMO Tower, with saguaro cactus built into the base. This guide walks through each landmark and why it is in the piece.

What makes the Phoenix skyline different

Most American skylines are packed clusters of a hundred-plus years of steel. Phoenix is different. It is one of the newest major skylines in the country, still relatively low by federal-city standards, and it is the only one in our collection framed by desert. The defining feature of downtown Phoenix is not a single supertall tower but the way the buildings sit against the Sonoran Desert and the surrounding mountains. That is why our model includes saguaro cactus at the base. Remove the desert and it is no longer Phoenix.

The buildings, from tallest down

Chase Tower

At 483 feet and 40 stories, Chase Tower has been the tallest building in Arizona since it opened in 1972 (originally the Valley National Bank Center). Its light, slab-sided profile anchors the downtown skyline and is the first building most people recognize in the silhouette.

BMO Tower

Completed in 2022, BMO Tower is the newest major addition to downtown at roughly 438 feet. It represents the current wave of Phoenix growth, and its clean modern form sits beside the older towers as a marker of how fast the city is building.

US Bank Center

At about 407 feet, the US Bank Center (long known by earlier names) is one of the taller office towers in the core and a steady part of the downtown outline.

Collier Center and the office core

The Collier Center and the surrounding cluster of office towers fill out the middle of the skyline. Individually they are not famous, but together they give downtown Phoenix its density and its shape.

Freeport-McMoRan Center

Fitting for the Copper State, the Freeport-McMoRan Center is the headquarters of one of the world's largest copper producers. It is a reminder that the industry which built Arizona still has a home in the skyline.

44 Monroe and the residential towers

44 Monroe and the newer residential high-rises reflect the shift of downtown Phoenix from a nine-to-five office district into a place people actually live. They add height and life to the eastern end of the model.

The Westward Ho

No Phoenix skyline guide is complete without the Westward Ho. Built in 1928, it was the tallest building in Arizona for decades and remains an art-deco landmark, its distinctive antenna a fixed point on the horizon.

The saguaro cactus base

The detail that makes our Phoenix model unmistakable is the saguaro cactus and desert floor at the base. No other city in our collection has it, and no honest depiction of Phoenix would leave it out.

Which size is right?

• Small (6 in, $29): a desk piece that reads clearly at arm's length.
• Medium (7.5 in, $49): the signature size, enough detail to pick out each tower on a shelf.
• Large (9 in, $69): a mantel statement where the desert base and the towers both have room to breathe.

All three are hand-finished in matte black with brushed gold lettering, made to order, and ship in three to five business days. Free US shipping over $45.

FAQ

What is the tallest building in the Phoenix skyline?

Chase Tower, at 483 feet and 40 stories, has been the tallest building in Arizona since 1972. It anchors the Phoenix skyline model.

What buildings are in the Phoenix skyline sculpture?

The model captures the downtown Phoenix core, including Chase Tower, the BMO Tower, the US Bank Center, the Collier Center, and the residential towers, with saguaro cactus at the base to frame it as the desert city it is.

Why does the Phoenix model have a cactus?

Because Phoenix is the only major skyline in our collection framed by the Sonoran Desert. The saguaro at the base is what makes the piece unmistakably Phoenix rather than any other downtown.

How big is the Phoenix skyline sculpture?

Three sizes: Small 6 inches wide ($29), Medium 7.5 inches ($49), and Large 9 inches ($69), all matte black with hand-painted gold lettering. Free US shipping over $45.

Order Yours

The Phoenix skyline ships in three to five business days from our workshop. Small $29, Medium $49, Large $69, free US shipping over $45. For gift-occasion ideas, see our Phoenix skyline gift guide and the best Phoenix gifts.