Attraction 1 / 34
Quick Info
Location
233 S. Wacker Drive
Subway
Quincy (orange, purple, brown)
Links
Rating
48 votes 48 votes
Hotels
landmarkLooking for a hotel near the Sears Tower?Compare hotels and locate them on a map.Start booking here

Sears Tower

Willis Tower
At the time the Sears tower was constructed in 1974, it was the world's tallest building, eclipsing New York's twin-towered World Trade Center by 25 meter (83 ft). It would keep the title of tallest building in the world until the Petronas twin towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia were constructed in 1997.
Sears Tower, Chicago
Sears Tower
The Tallest
There was much discussion on whether the Petronas towers are actually taller than the Sears tower as the height of the antennas on the Petronas towers are included in the total height, while the height of the antennas are not included in the height calculation of the Sears tower as they are not considered an actual part of the building. With the construction of the 508m high Taipei 101 tower in 2004 this discussion became irrelevant.

Anyhow, the Sears tower is still the tallest Chicago skyscraper, exceeding the height of the number 2, the Trump International Hotel and Tower by 27 meter (89 ft) and the Aon Center by 96 meter (315 ft).

The Structure
The building consists of nine framed tubes, which are actually nine skyscrapers on themselves taken together into one building. Originally, the plan included no less than 15 tubes, but when the planned hotel was
Sears Tower at dusk, Chicago
Sears Tower at dusk
taken out of the project, only nine tubes were used in the final designs. The nine tubes all reach forty-nine stories. At that point, two tubes end. The other rise up to the sixty-fifth floor. From the sixty-sixth to the ninetieth floor, the tower has the shape of a crucifix. Two tubes, creating a rectangular, reach the full height of 442 meter (1451ft).

Wind Load
The result is an interesting tower, which looks different from all angles. The construction, designed by Fazlur Kahn (1929-82), has other advantages : the construction with separate tubes provides lateral strengths to withstand the strong Chicago wind loads, as each tube only needs to take a part of the pressure.

Observation Deck
The Sears Tower's observation deck - known as the skydeck - is one of Chicago's most popular attractions. At 1,353 ft or 412 m, it Chicago's
The ledges on the Sears Tower
Ledges on the Sears Tower
highest observatory, besting the John Hancock Center's by 323 ft (98m).
The most spectacular attraction at the skydeck is 'the ledge', a glass balcony extending 4.3 ft where you can look straight down. It will make most people feel uneasy at first but the balconies offer spectacular views over Wacker Drive and the Chicago River. More info about the skydeck can be found on this website: www.theskydeck.com

Willis Tower
In July 2009 the Sears Tower was renamed to Willis Tower, but many refuse to accept the name change of Chicago's most iconic skyscraper, with some even starting a petition against it.

52
Nearby Attractions
Nearby Hotels
Sears Tower Photos
Sears Tower Posters
Area Map
© 2009 www.aviewoncities.com