Sears Tower (Willis Tower) and it's skyline views

Sears Tower is Chicago's most famous office skyscraper, built in 1974. It was recently renamed to Willis Tower, and was the world's tallest building for more then 25 years, 1973-1998, when it surpassed New York's now destroyed One WTC. Sears Tower has 108 floors, a roof height of 442m and is 527m tall to the top of the antenna. It is one of America's most famous landmarks, and was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. In 1998 Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur was built, but only bet Sears Tower because their spires were integrated into the strucuture, despite being much shorter then Sears Tower's mast, that was not integrated. Later, Taipei 101 and Burj Khalifa (also by SOM) were built at even greater heights. In 2000, extra height was added to the antenna. There is an observation deck on the 103rd floor, Skydeck Pavilion, that is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Chicago, and was the highlight of our visit. From here you can see Chicago from all sides, Lake Michigan and on clear days into Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan too. Recently, the Skydeck Ledge, glass panels were added on the exterior of the building, right outside the observation deck, so we took the opportunity to walk on glass 103 floors above ground!

The building has 76 single deck and 14 double deck elevators. 25 000 people visit the building every day. Even though it has been renamed after the London based holding firm Willis, most people still refer to it as Sears Tower (Sears Roebuck was the world's largest retailer but has since long abandoned the building, hence the name change). Sears Tower is situated in the Northwest end of the loop, near Chicago River at S Wacker Drive, Adams St and Jackson Blvd. Sears Tower is the landmark of Chicago's skyscrapers. Almost all of them are situated in Downtown, a district that has an area of only about 1 kmĀ². Despite being a large metropolis, and being know as the birthplace of the skyscraper, there are very few tall buildings outside the central core. In Chicago, there have, since the late 1980s, been 4 serious attempts to beat Sears Tower in height, but all projects were cancelled because of financial issues. Sears Tower is still the talelst building in the Midwest and the 2nd tallest in the US (after the new One WTC in NY). Currently (2016) it is only the 10th tallest building in the world, but the 2nd tallest in the world outside Asia, and still the tallest building in the US by roof height and number of floors. Congratulations, Sears...sorry, Willis Tower!

 

Sears Tower - the world's tallest building for 1973-1998, now called Willis Tower Sears Tower - 108 floors high, 537m to the top of the mast Sears Tower - 108 floors high, 537m to the top of the mast Sears Tower (Willis Tower) 
- still Chicago's tallest building Sears Tower - entrance Sears Tower - street level at Wacker/Jackson Sears Tower - street level at Wacker/Jackson with glass entrance and globe. Views from Sears Tower 01 Views from Sears Tower 02 - busy highway Views from Sears Tower 03 - Chicago is a railway hub Views from Sears Tower 04 - South Chicago Views from Sears Tower 05 - Midway Airport Views from Sears Tower 06 - looking south Views from Sears Tower 07 Views from Sears Tower 08 - 311 South Wacker, Chicago River Views from Sears Tower 09 - Chicago Hilton
Views from Sears Tower 10 - Grant Park Views from Sears Tower 18 Views from Sears Tower 19 - Buckingham Fountain Views from Sears Tower 20 - Grant Park Views from Sears Tower 21 Views from Sears Tower 22 - John Hancock Center (4th tallest), Water Tower Place, Trump Tower (2nd tallest) Views from Sears Tower 23 Views from Sears Tower 24 - Aon Center, 3rd tallest Views from Sears Tower 11 Views from Sears Tower 12 Views from Sears Tower 13 - South Loop, Grant Park, Lake Michigan Views from Sears Tower 14 - Grant Park, Metropolitan Tower, CNA Center, Buckingham Fountain Views from Sears Tower 15 - Aon Center and other Randolph St skyscrapers Views from Sears Tower 16 - Two Prudential Plaza and Aon Center Views from Sears Tower 17 - Lake shore drive Views from Sears Tower 25 - Millennium Park Views from Sears Tower 26 - Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park Views from Sears Tower 27 - Museum of Industry and Science, Grant Park, the only building left from the 1893 World Fair Views from Sears Tower 28 - Chaset Tower Views from Sears Tower 29 - Trump Tower, 2nd tallest Views from Sears Tower 30 - John Hancock Center Views from Sears Tower 31  - John Hancock Center Views from Sears Tower 32 - Magnificent Mile, Lake Michigan Views from Sears Tower 33 - Chicago River Views from Sears Tower 34 - Hyatt Center
Views from Sears Tower 35 - Franklin Center (right), 5th tallest Views from Sears Tower 36 - North part of downtown Views from Sears Tower 37 - North towards Lincoln Park Views from Sears Tower 38 - flat surroundings Views from Sears Tower 39 Views from Sears Tower 40 Views from Sears Tower 41 - highway Views from Sears Tower 42 - Downtown skyscrapers Views from Sears Tower 43 Views from Sears Tower 44 Views from Sears Tower 45 - Chicago Temple Views from Sears Tower 46 Views from Sears Tower 47 - towards O'Hare Airport Views from Sears Tower 48 Views from Sears Tower 49 Views from Sears Tower 50 - 900 N Michigan, Elysian, John Hancock Views from Sears Tower 51 - Merchandise Mart (middle), Chicago River Views from Sears Tower 52 Views from Sears Tower 53 - Loop skyscrapers Views from Sears Tower 55 - Chicago River Views from Sears Tower 56 - Chicago Tribune printing works Views from Sears Tower 57 Views from Sears Tower 58 Views from Sears Tower 59 Views from Sears Tower 60 Views from Sears Tower 61 Views from Sears Tower 62 Views from Sears Tower 63 Views from Sears Tower 64 - Skydeck Ledge Views from Sears Tower 65 - Skydeck Ledge Views from Sears Tower 66 - Skydeck Ledge Views from Sears Tower 67 - Skydeck Ledge Views from Sears Tower 68 - Skydeck Ledge Views from Sears Tower 69 - Skydeck Ledge Views from Sears Tower 70  - Skydeck Ledge Views from Sears Tower 71  - Skydeck Ledge Views from Sears Tower 72  - Skydeck Ledge Views from Sears Tower 73  - Skydeck Ledge Views from Sears Tower 74  - Skydeck Ledge Views from Sears Tower 75 - Skydeck Ledge Views from Sears Tower 76 - Skydeck Ledge Views from Sears Tower 77  - Skydeck Ledge Views from Sears Tower 78 - Skydeck Ledge Views from Sears Tower 79 - Skydeck Ledge Views from Sears Tower 80 - Skydeck Ledge Views from Sears Tower 81 - Skydeck Ledge Views from Sears Tower 82 - Skydeck Ledge Views from Sears Tower 83 - amish people visiting the skydeck Sears Tower 33 Sears Tower 34  - band plaing outside Sears Tower 32 - Wacker Drive
Sears Tower 35 - band plaing outside Sears Tower 36 Sears Tower 37 Sears Tower 38 Sears Tower 39 Sears Tower 40 Sears Tower 04 Sears Tower 06 Sears Tower 07 Sears Tower 08 Sears Tower 09 Sears Tower 10 Sears Tower - entrance to the Skydeck Sears Tower 12 - renamed to Willis Tower in 2009 Sears Tower 13 - elevator Sears Tower 14 Sears Tower 15 Sears Tower 16 Sears Tower 17 - compariason to other towers Sears Tower 18 Sears Tower 19 Sears Tower 20 Sears Tower 21 Sears Tower 22 Sears Tower 23 - elevator Sears Tower 24 Sears Tower 25 Sears Tower 26 - LEGO model Sears Tower 27 Sears Tower 28 - lobby with model Sears Tower 29