Why is it called Sears Tower?
The Willis Tower was renamed in 2009 after the insurance broker Willis Group Holdings leased the naming rights. The Sears Tower was opened in 1973 and is 1,730 feet tall, including its antenna. It was originally named for retailer Sears, Roebuck & Co., which moved its headquarters to Hoffman Estates, Ill.
What is Sears Tower called?
Willis Tower
Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower) is a 110 story building in the heart of Chicago’s downtown. Willis Tower is not only one of the tallest buildings in the world, it is also a magnificent icon, impossible to miss within Chicago’s skyline.
Can you go up in the Sears Tower?
SKYDECK (Willis Tower) Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) is the third tallest building in America, rising 1,353 feet (412 m) in the air. It is 108 stories tall, and at such a height, you can feel the building sway (safely!) on windy days. The Skydeck is open from 9 am – 10 pm in summer and 10 am – 8 pm in winter.
When was the Sears Tower built in Chicago?
Written By: Willis Tower, formerly (1973–2009) Sears Tower, skyscraper office building in Chicago, Illinois, located at 233 South Wacker Drive, that is one of the world’s tallest buildings. The Sears Tower opened to tenants in 1973, though construction was not actually completed until 1974.
Who are the engineers of the Sears Tower?
Engineer(s): Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The Sears Tower is an example of the revolutionary bundled-tube structural design. Tube buildings gain most of their structural support from a rigid network of beams and columns in their outer walls. The rigid outer walls act like the walls of a hollow tube.
Is the Sears Tower really the Willis Tower?
This history explains why many Chicagoans still nostalgically refer to the building as the Sears Tower, although it has not technically been the Sears Tower for years.
How much weight does the Sears Tower have?
As the building climbs upward, the tubes begin to drop off, reducing the wind forces on the building. The Tower’s heavy weight — more than 440 million pounds — is also supported by 114 piles sunk deep into the earth so that they stand firmly on hard, solid bedrock.