What is special about the Sears Tower?
Willis Tower is the twelfth-tallest building in the world; it is the second tallest building in the North America and the Western Hemisphere, standing 1,450 feet and 110 stories tall. Willis Tower is home to the highest public viewing area in the United States. The Skydeck is 1,353 feet (412 meters) above the ground.
Why was Sears Tower named?
After 18 years, Sears Roebuck and Company sold the tower and moved out of the building. In 2009 the building was renamed Willis Tower after the Willis Group Holdings, the global insurance broker who calls the Tower its Midwest home.
How many years did it take to build the Sears Tower?
three years
Fazlur Khan, the structural engineer, designed the “bundled tube” design that handled both wind and gravity. In August, 1970 ground was broken for the beginning of construction. Taking three years to complete, Sears Tower was finished in May 1973.
What is on top of the Sears Tower?
At the very top of the building are antennas with airline warning strobe lights that flash 40 times a minute. Visible to pilots over great distances, the lamps are changed about every 18 months by a climber who scales the antenna towers.
Who Built Sears Tower?
Fazlur Rahman KhanBruce Graham
Willis Tower/Architects
How many floors Sears Tower?
108Willis Tower / Floors
How old is the Sears Tower?
52Willis Tower / Age (c. 1970-1973)
Why is Sears Tower red?
The Willis (Sears) Tower’s two white antennae take to color very well. The building’s management and electricians use color combinations like red and green for Christmas, pink for breast cancer awareness, and blue and orange to celebrate major Bears victories.
What is Sears Tower made of?
Standing 110 stories tall, its black aluminum and bronze-tinted glass exterior has become emblematic of Chicago, a city crazy about its architecture.
Why was the Sears Tower built?
In order to consolidate current staff and accommodate anticipated growth, the company hired SOM to design a three-million-square-foot office tower. The location of the tower was strategically selected for its proximity to expressways and commuter rail lines to benefit Sears employees.
Why does the Sears Tower have antennae?
The investment group that owns the building is shopping around naming rights. And those tall spires on top of the building aren’t called antennas. They’re superstructures, or towers, and they have many antennas bolted to them transmitting signals from numerous radio and TV stations that rent space on the towers.
Why is Sears Tower purple?
The Willis Tower spire was lit purple and gold Monday in honor of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant following the helicopter crash that killed the NBA star, his daughter Gianna and seven others.
How many people died building the Sears Tower?
How many died building the Sears Tower? Five people died in the construction of the Sears Tower, currently called Willis Tower, in two separate incidents in April 1973. The building of Willis Tower started in 1970, and it was completed in 1973.
What building is taller than the Sears Tower?
The Willis Tower – or the Sears Tower, as it was better known – was designed by SOM and engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan and completed in 1973. It beat the World Trade Centre in New York to the title of tallest building studios more than 50 years
How did the Sears Tower get its name?
Applebaum,Alec,”The Softer Side of Sears: A New CEO Tackles Fashion Troubles and More at the Retail Icon,” Money,November 1,2000,p.
How much did the Sears Tower cost?
They paid $840 million for the tower in 2004. The Willis Tower was renamed in 2009 after the insurance broker Willis Group Holdings leased the naming rights. However, many locals still refer to the landmark skyscraper as the Sears Tower. The Sears Tower was opened in 1973 and is 1,730 feet tall, including its antenna.