Sky Box
[Sears Tower (1974) Bruce Graham, architect; Fazlur Kahn, structural engineer; Skidmore, Ownings & Merrill /Images & Artwork: designslinger]
It was once the tallest building in the world, now it stands as the tallest in the Western Hemisphere. Known for decades as Sears Tower, now Willis Tower, the building has gotten not so great reviews as architecture but outstanding acclaim as one great feat of engineering. By clustering 9 square tubes into a bundle, the building could withstand the wind and supply large, open floor plans that would accommodate thousands of office workers.
[Willis Tower Skydeck Ledge, April 16, 2009 /Images & Artwork: designslinger]
We recently visited the tower's Skydeck with a friend, who was in town from LA, to see
if we were brave enough to stand on a glass floor hovering 1,353 feet above the street below. Mitch and Cheryl did it, I couldn't. Just standing at the edge where the floor line of the building met the glass-floored box left my hands so sweaty and heart pounding so hard, that I was too creeped out to take that last step. It was great watching people approach the box-in-the-sky with trepidation and then recoiling in horror or moving out into the air.
[Willis Tower Sky Box /Image & Artwork: designslinger]
It took over 5 years, 100 different property owners, demolition of 15 buildings and the closing of a city street to put up the dark-bronze behemoth. I remember hearing that the height of the tower was determined by the length of the former, 5-story Sears headquarters building and warehouse on the city's west side. It makes for a good story and the glass ledges make for unique Chicago experience.
Posted by designslinger at 5/11/2010 2:16 AM 
Categories: Architecture
Tags: Fazlur Kahn Bruce Graham Skidmore Owings and Merrill Wacker Drive commercial architecture
Categories: Architecture
Tags: Fazlur Kahn Bruce Graham Skidmore Owings and Merrill Wacker Drive commercial architecture
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